Research in Veterinary Science 81 (2006) 177–184 www.elsevier.com/locate/rvsc

A longitudinal study to identify constraints to dairy cattle health and production in rural smallholder communities in Northern Vietnam K. Suzuki a

a,*

, M. Kanameda b, K. Inui b, T. Ogawa b, V.K. Nguyen b, T.T.S. Dang b, D.U. Pfeiffer a

Epidemiology Division, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Herts AL9 7TA, UK b National Institute of Veterinary Research, Truong Chinh, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam Accepted 7 December 2005

Abstract The objective of the study was to investigate constraints to dairy cattle health and production in rural smallholder communities in northern Vietnam, one of the target areas of the Vietnam government’s dairy development programme. A total of 99 dairy farms (11 per commune) were recruited from 9 of 32 communes in Ba Vi District, using random two-stage cluster sampling. After the initial questionnaire interviews were conducted, farms were visited at three monthly intervals over a period of 1 year. Information on several health and production parameters relating to the study cattle was collected. Using multiple indicator modelling, it was found that Fasciola infestation, farmers who had been involved in dairying for longer (not indicative of better management skills), larger herd size, and cattle being kept in a shed were linked to reduced reproductive performances. Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Dairy cattle; Longitudinal study; Multiple indicator modelling analysis; Smallholders; Vietnam

1. Introduction The Vietnamese government has developed a policy aimed at the expansion of dairy cattle production in order to satisfy the demand for dairy products in urban areas such as the capital city of Hanoi and alleviate poverty amongst rural farming communities. The policy has directed towards the development of dairy sector through stabilising milk price, supporting the creation of collection centres and marketing channels, and imports of highly productive animals for breeding purposes (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 2000). Milk production in Vietnam is mainly under the smallholder farmers. There is relatively little published information on most aspects of

dairy health and production including the prevalence of economically important diseases and reproductive performance at the smallholder level in Vietnam. The objective of this paper reporting a longitudinal study is to identify constraints to dairy cattle health and production in smallholder farming communities in which the Vietnamese government’s dairy development programme has been implemented. Particular emphasis was placed on testing the hypothesis that management and health factors influencing dairy cattle reproductive performance could be defined. 2. Materials and methods 2.1. Study area

* Corresponding author. Present address: Rural Development Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency, 2-1-1, Yoyogi, Shibuyaku, Tokyo 151-8558, Japan. Tel.: +81 3 5352 5907; fax: +81 3 5352 5326. E-mail address: [email protected] (K. Suzuki).

0034-5288/$ - see front matter Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.rvsc.2005.12.002

The Ba Vi district in Ha Tay Province in northern Vietnam was selected (Fig. 1). There were about 500 households involved in dairy cattle farming out of about

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K. Suzuki et al. / Research in Veterinary Science 81 (2006) 177–184

Fig. 1. Map of the nine study communes in Ba Vi District, Ha Tay Province, Vietnam (Delta area; 1–4, Upland area; 5–7, Mountain area; 8 and 9). Dots indicate locations of the 99 study dairy farms.

52,000 households. The total number of dairy cattle was 1100. It is considered typical for the smallholder farming areas adjacent to the capital city of Hanoi (District Veterinary Station in Ba Vi (DVS), 2001, personal communication). Expansion of dairy cattle production has been encouraged by the national government since 1998 in this district. Farmers have been provided a loan for the purchase of dairy cattle, training sessions for new dairy farmers, and free services of artificial insemination and vaccination (haemorrhagic septicaemia and foot-andmouth disease) for their cattle (Ta, 2003). The mean annual temperature in the study area is 21.5 °C. Monthly average rain fall ranges between 40 and 300 mm (Holland et al., 2000). Based on geographical characteristics, all 32 communes of the district are divided into following three groups: Delta (12 communes in the north), Upland (13 communes in the middle) and Mountain area (7 communes in the south). 2.2. Selection of study farms and animals Using random two-stage cluster sampling, 9 of 32 communes in Ba Vi District, where dairy cattle farming had been developed in the district prior to the start of this study, were randomly selected as primary sampling units. As secondary sampling units, a total of 99 dairy farming households (11 per commune) were randomly recruited from the register of the dairy farming households in each commune, provided by the DVS. All dairy cattle owned

by the study households were included. The animals were individually identified for follow-up. Animals were divided into age groups as follows: Calves