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Economic impacts of heat stress in Swiss dairy production
The global increase in temperature and humidity amplifies local impacts on livestock husbandry. Climatic extreme events like heat waves negatively affect milk producers, especially because cows experiencing heat stress may imply lower milk and milk component yields in Switzerland. This thesis uses rich data from swissherdbook and MeteoSwiss and provides causal estimates of temperature humidity shocks on milk production using an econometric analysis. Based on this assessment, the thesis quantifies its economic relevance, considering both quantity and price effects. Knowledge about climate change impacts on milk production provides highly relevant information for farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
Keywords: Agricultural economics, dairy cows, heat stress, milk production
Heat stress is defined as body hyperthermia of mammals due to excessive heat loads that cannot be sufficiently dissipated. Milk production is the backbone of Swiss agriculture, and lactating dairy cows are more susceptible to heat stress due to their higher metabolic activity level. Climatic extreme events like heat waves negatively affect milk producers, especially because the depression in milk and milk component yields of cows experiencing heat stress. The relevance of climatic extreme events will increase due to climate change, amplifying problems for dairy producers. The extent of heat stress induced losses for Swiss dairy farmers is currently largely unknown. This thesis provides a novel causal assessment of the economic implications of high temperature and humidity conditions in Swiss milk production. The analysis implicitly accounts for farm-level adaptation.
Literature:
Bohmanova, J., Misztal, I., Cole, J. B. (2007). Temperature-humidity indices as indicators of milk production losses due to heat stress. Journal of Dairy Science 90: 1947-1956.
De Rensis, F., I. Garcia-Ispierto, and F. López-Gatius. 2015. Seasonal heat stress: Clinical implications and hormone treatments for the fertility of dairy cows. Theriogenology 84:659–666.
Fabris, T.F.; Laporta, J.; Skibiel, A.L.; Corra, F.N.; Senn, B.D.; Wohigemuth, S.E.; Dahl, G.E. Effect of heat stress during early, late, and entire dry period on dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 2019, 102, 5647–5656.
Finger, R., Dalhaus, T., Allendorf, J., Hirsch, S. (2018). Determinants of downside risk exposure of dairy farms. European Review of Agricultural Economics 45(4), 641–674
Key, N. and Sneeringer, S. (2014). Potential Effects of Climate Change on the Productivity of U.S. Dairies. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 96: 1136-1156.
Perez-Mendez, J. A., Roibas, D., Wall, A. (2019). The influence of weather conditions on dairy production. Agricultural Economics 50: 165-175.
Heat stress is defined as body hyperthermia of mammals due to excessive heat loads that cannot be sufficiently dissipated. Milk production is the backbone of Swiss agriculture, and lactating dairy cows are more susceptible to heat stress due to their higher metabolic activity level. Climatic extreme events like heat waves negatively affect milk producers, especially because the depression in milk and milk component yields of cows experiencing heat stress. The relevance of climatic extreme events will increase due to climate change, amplifying problems for dairy producers. The extent of heat stress induced losses for Swiss dairy farmers is currently largely unknown. This thesis provides a novel causal assessment of the economic implications of high temperature and humidity conditions in Swiss milk production. The analysis implicitly accounts for farm-level adaptation.
Literature:
Bohmanova, J., Misztal, I., Cole, J. B. (2007). Temperature-humidity indices as indicators of milk production losses due to heat stress. Journal of Dairy Science 90: 1947-1956.
De Rensis, F., I. Garcia-Ispierto, and F. López-Gatius. 2015. Seasonal heat stress: Clinical implications and hormone treatments for the fertility of dairy cows. Theriogenology 84:659–666.
Fabris, T.F.; Laporta, J.; Skibiel, A.L.; Corra, F.N.; Senn, B.D.; Wohigemuth, S.E.; Dahl, G.E. Effect of heat stress during early, late, and entire dry period on dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 2019, 102, 5647–5656.
Finger, R., Dalhaus, T., Allendorf, J., Hirsch, S. (2018). Determinants of downside risk exposure of dairy farms. European Review of Agricultural Economics 45(4), 641–674
Key, N. and Sneeringer, S. (2014). Potential Effects of Climate Change on the Productivity of U.S. Dairies. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 96: 1136-1156.
Perez-Mendez, J. A., Roibas, D., Wall, A. (2019). The influence of weather conditions on dairy production. Agricultural Economics 50: 165-175.
This thesis uses rich data from swissherdbook and MeteoSwiss and provides causal estimates of temperature humidity shocks on milk production using an econometric analysis. Based on this assessment, the thesis quantifies its economic relevance. The results are not only highly relevant for farmers and extension services but also provide important information for insurance companies and policy makers.
This thesis is jointly supervised by the Agricultural Economics and Policy Group (Prof. Robert Finger) and the Animal Nutrition Group (Prof. Mutian Niu).
This thesis uses rich data from swissherdbook and MeteoSwiss and provides causal estimates of temperature humidity shocks on milk production using an econometric analysis. Based on this assessment, the thesis quantifies its economic relevance. The results are not only highly relevant for farmers and extension services but also provide important information for insurance companies and policy makers. This thesis is jointly supervised by the Agricultural Economics and Policy Group (Prof. Robert Finger) and the Animal Nutrition Group (Prof. Mutian Niu).
Prof. Robert Finger: rofinger@ethz.ch & Prof. Mutian Niu (mutian.niu@usys.ethz.ch)
Prof. Robert Finger: rofinger@ethz.ch & Prof. Mutian Niu (mutian.niu@usys.ethz.ch)