Experts warn of the impact of global warming on dairy production Environment and climate

A recent study stated that dairy production in the world will decrease due to the increase and intensity of heat waves, and recommended that strategies to adapt, especially with the continued acceleration of burning fossil fuels, and the absence of radical solutions to climate change.

According to records of more than 130,000 cows over 12 years, the study published in the magazine “Science Advances” said that the intense heat reduces the ability of cows to produce milk by 10%.

The study indicated that only one hour of the high temperature of what is known as the “wet bulb” (WGBT) – a scale that combines air temperature and humidity – is above 26 ° C, can reduce the production of daily cow of milk by 0.5%.

The exposure to high temperatures has an extended effect, as milk production remains less than the usual levels for about 10 days after the first hot day.

Using temperature forecast for 2050, the study confirmed that by the middle of the century, the average daily milk production may decrease by 4% due to the exacerbation of thermal stress, and this decrease will affect, especially on 150 million families based on milk production globally.

The study indicated that the effects of heat stress on dairy farms will be severe, especially in South Asia, which is expected to represent more than half of the global growth in milk production in the next decade.

As fossil fuel burning continues to accelerate, the area is expected to become more vulnerable to exhausted free waves, which exacerbates its effect on milk production.

Consorting is responsible for about a third of the methane gas emissions caused by humans, which, such as carbon dioxide accelerating the phenomenon of global global warming.

Farmers actually apply adaptation strategies, as most major farms in the world use some technologies to reduce heat stress. The adaptation methods include guaranteeing cows getting shade, in addition to cooling livestock directly with ventilation or water sprays.

However, the researchers found that in the days when the temperature exceeded 24 degrees Celsius, these cooling strategies were only able to prevent 40% of the impact of the severe heat on dairy production.

Claire Ballandry, the owner of the main study, urged policy makers the need to “research more comprehensive strategies, not only to cool cows, but also to reduce pressure factors, such as imprisonment and separation of calves. The pressure factors make cows more sensitive to heat and less endurance.”