Evaluation of decrease in buffalo population in Turkey from the economic viewpoint

B Senturk

Department of Livestock Economics and Management, Ondokuz Mayıs University,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 55200 Atakum, Samsun, Turkey
senturk@omu.edu.tr

Abstract

In this study the reasons of the decrease in Buffalo population in Turkey were investigated. The data obtained from this study were evaluated by time series analysis, calculation, and comparative analysis methods. In the study, the data from The Food and Agriculture Organization of The United Nations and Turkish Statistical Institute were used and the comparative analysis of some parameters (number of animals, milk production, carcass production, purpose of rearing, changes in milk and meat prices of breeders) of cattle and buffaloes were carried out.

It was determined that the number of buffaloes in Turkey was reduced by 93% between 1970 and 2010. Annual milk production of buffaloes which was 830 kg/head in 1970 changed to 1004 kg/head as of 2010 with an increase of 21%. Cow milk production was 602 kg/head in 1970 and this increased to 3879 kg/head with an increase by 544%. Carcass production was 135kg/head in 1970 for adult buffalos and 85 kg/head for cattle, which increased to 211 kg/head and 218 kg/head, respectively. Carcass production increase between 1970 and 2010 was calculated to be 56% for buffalo and 156% for cattle. Prices of buffalo meat became lower than cattle beef in market of animal products in Turkey and price of cattle beef was calculated to be $4848 per tonne in average between 1991 and 2010. Within the same period average annual buffalo milk price was calculated as $4484 per tonne. Buffalo milk producer price became higher than cow milk as of 2007 and in 2010 cow milk/buffalo milk parity was determined as 1/2.

Key words: meat production, milk production, price

Introduction

While the number of Buffalo in the world was 107.262.746 heads in 1970, this increased up to 192.758.250 heads in 2010 (FAO 2013). During the same period number of the other important component sub-cow family was 1.081.641.436 heads in 1970 which reached to 1.427.543.010 heads in 2010. While increase in buffalo quantity in the world has been reported as 88% between the years of 1970-2010, increase in the number of cow during the same period has been reported as 32%. In Turkey buffalo population was 1.178.000 heads in 1970 and decreased to 92.207 heads in 2010. However cow population since 1970 (it was 13.189.000 heads) has decreased to 10.724.000 heads in 2010. During this period, while the decrease in the number of cows was 19% the decrease in the number of buffalos was 93% (FAO 2013).

One of the most likely socio-economic reasons for this quantitative decrease faced in the number of buffalo is the utilization of mechanization in agriculture and minimized usage of animal power for towing. Cultivated agricultural lands in Turkey were 24.296.000 ha in 1970 and the part cultivated by means of tractors covered an area of 7.940.000 ha. In 2001, 32.6% of the cultivated area was cultivated by means of tractors and this rate came up to 72.1% in 2001 (MARA 2011).

Changes in the production system and crossbreeding  changed cattle productivity. Consequently, buffalo breeding was not preferred by many people. Prices of meat and milk are economically limiting factors for buffalo breeding, therefore producer's price changes have been taken into consideration in this study. Some of the other important factors which are considered to have an effect in decreasing the buffalo population, but could not be analyzed in this study due to its wide scope, can be listed as follows: support  prices, demand for buffalo products in the global market, their import and export, consumer preferences and environmental factors (maintenance of wet areas).

This study focused on the reasons for the decrease in the population of Anatolian Water Buffalo (MFAL 2011; Soysal M I et al 2005). This breed  is found in Turkey particularly in Central Black sea, East Anatolia and Marmara regions.

Material and Methods

The data were obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) about the changes in the manner of cultivating agricultural fields, the number of draught animals, the number of tractors, the amounts of meat and milk produced per animal (for both cow and buffalo). Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) were used for the changes in the numbers of cows and buffaloes and the producer prices. 

The decrease experienced in the numbers of buffalo in Turkey were examined using quantitative data and by taking economic parameters into consideration. Changes in the productivity of cattle and buffaloes were analyzed by years between 1970 and 2010. Productivities of milk and carcass were calculated by dividing the total production by the number of animal heads. In calculations 1970-1980-1990-2000 data of State of Statistics Institute (DIE) and 2010 data of TUIK were used (SIS 1971, 1981, 1991, 1992, 2002; TurkStat 2012).

Carcass productivity for buffalo and juvenile buffalos were calculated taking into consideration DIE data including the information about buffalo breeds, dairy cattle breeds and cattle carcass weights. When carcass weights of cattle brought to slaughterhouse was calculated, the data of cutting animals in slaughter houses were taken into consideration for the carcass weight until the year of 2009 and the carcass weight of both animals cut in and outside of slaughter houses were taken after 2010, we have used 2009 year data in order to provide the integrity of our study. In 2009 year TÜİK data, production amounts of all cutting animals for cattle race excluding calf (heifer, bullock, cow, steer) were included in the definition of cattle. The changes faced in the prices of milk and meat producers were analyzed by using FAO producer prices for the window of 1991-2010. The currency is taken as US Dollars for producer prices.

Results and discussions

In our study 1970 year was accepted as the index year and the numbers of cattle and buffalo between 1970 and 2010 in Turkey are given in Table 1 (FAO 2013).

The number of buffaloes in 2010 decreased by 93% in comparison to 1970 numbers. In the same period the number of cattle decreased by 19%. The decrease in buffalo numbers from 1980 to 1990 was determined as 59% and the decrease between 1990 and 2000 was found as 62%. This rate was 47% between the years of 2000 and 2010.

Table 2  indicates the area of the cultivated agricultural fields, the numbers of tractors and ploughs in Turkey between the years of 1970 and 2010.  (TurkStat 2013, TUK1972, 1992; TurkStat 2010). Significant changes were observed in the parameters influencing the buffalo and cattle breeding preferences in Turkey between the years of 1970 and 2010. Particularly a decrease in demand of animal power for use in agricultural fields and for tractive power purpose occurred.

When we examined the data given in the Table 2, it was seen that while total cultivated area in Turkey in 1970 was 24.296.000 ha, the numbers of tractors were 105.865. During this term it was seen that 32.6% of total fields had been cultivated (MARA 2011) and in parallel with the increase of the numbers of tractor, and the numbers of ploughs, the buffalo and cattle decreased. 

In the same period we analyzed important changes in the milk and carcass productivity of cattle and buffaloes. Improvements in the production of animal products were evaluated by a calculation dividing total production values by the numbers of animals (Tables 3 and 4).

In 1970 it was calculated that the milk production of buffalos was higher than cattle milk production by 27%. In milk production both for buffalos and cattle an increase was observed excluding the year 1980. Milk productivity increased in buffalo per head falling behind the milk productivity increase of cows. In 2010 an increase in milk production of buffaloes by 21% was realized in comparison to 1970 and in the same period also an increase in cattle milk productivity by 544% was observed.

It was calculated that the carcass weight of buffalo was 37% higher than cattle carcass weight in 1970. Carcass productivity in buffalos per head was 135 kg in 1970 and this reached to 211 kg in 2009. Cattle carcass productivity was 85 kg/head in 1970 and this increased to 218 kg/head in 2009. Juvenile buffalo and calf carcass productivities also experienced important improvements. In comparison of buffalo and cattle carcass weights, the weights of buffalos were higher or even the same until the year of 2009, after 2000 this was changed in favor of cattle due to increase in crossbreed population. The rate of buffalo carcass productivity to cattle carcass productivity was 1.59 in 1970 and 1980. This rate was 1.12 in 1990 and changed in favor of cattle in 2009 as 0.97.

Another economical parameter which is considered to influence on the preference of breeders is producer prices. Changes experienced in prices of buffalo milk and cow milk, buffalo meat and cattle meat between 1991 and 2010 in Turkey are given in Table 5 (FAO 2013).

Producer prices of buffalo and cow milk and cow meat were reviewed within a 20 years period between 1991 and 2010. Parity of buffalo and cow milk generally varied between 1.00 and 1.03 until 2007. However, it was observed that this rate became approximately 2.00 after 2007 and beyond. The parity of buffalo meat and cow meat was calculated 0.80 in average and generally the producer prices formed in favor of cow meat which was found to be less stable in comparison to the producer prices parity of milk.

The number of buffaloes decreased 93% between the years of 1970-2010 in Turkey. The decrease in the number of buffaloes was realized during 1980-1990, 1990-2000 and 2000-2010 periods as 59%, 62% and 47%, respectively. The highest decrease rate was realized during the years of 1990-2000. The decrease in the number of cows between the years 1990-2000 was by 9%. During the same period the share of buffalo population within total cow and buffalo population was 8.19 in 1970, whereas this rate decreased to the level of 0.80 in 2010.

The cultivated agricultural fields in Turkey were 14.160.000 ha, almost all of which corresponding to 14.080.000 ha were cultivated by animal power. This rate changed to 2/3 of the cultivated fields in 1970 (SIS 1963). In relation with the socio-economical developments experienced later, the numbers of tractors increased and in the period between the years of 1970-1990 the number of ploughs decreased by 62%. In late 1950's the population of buffalo with number of 75.000 heads in Greece decreased to 1000 heads in the beginning of 1990's (Georgoudis et al 1994; Georgoudis et al 1998). This decrease in buffalo numbers related to agricultural mechanization and import of dairy cows. In 1950 there were 947.731 heads of buffalos and 10.123.185 heads of cows in Turkey. When it comes to 1990 the number of buffalos decreased to 429.000 heads. It was believed that agricultural mechanization influenced the decrease of buffalo numbers in both countries.

Buffalo milk production increased by 99 kg per head in 1990 in comparison to 1970 and milk production of cows increased by749 kg within the same period. The cause of this considerable change was that cow breeding became preferable since breeders considered that these animals have similar breeding conditions. Considering the animal productivities, another important parameter was the carcass productivity which showed that carcass weight of buffalo was higher than the average carcass weight of cow until the year 2000. Buffalo carcass productivity increase rate became lower than the average cow carcass weight. Compared to 1970 buffalo carcass weight increased by 56.3% whereas carcass weight increase of cows was 85 kg/head and this increase realized by 257% and reached to 218 kg/head in 2010.

This should not give rise to the thought that many precautions taken for cow breeding could not have been taken for buffalo breeding. A development achieved from one character as a result of selection is explained as a genetic development and the contribution of bulls in such a rapid development is accepted to be around 75% (Özbeyaz 2006). In the past the production of buffalo milk and meat was higher than cow production of both milk and meat until 1990. However this condition turned to buffaloes’ disadvantage due to the increase in the number of purebred and crosbreed cows. This should not mean that necessary actions could not have been taken for buffalo breeding. Buffalo breeding is highly important particularly in order to maintain animal gene sources diversity and for animal biodiversity (Boyazoğlu and Flamant 1990).

Changes that occurred in the producer prices were analyzed in this study for a 20 years period between 1991 and 2010 when continuously annual data obtained and particular changes were observed with respect to years. During this period, average parities of prices of milk producers for buffalo and cow milk were determined to be 1.35. Meanwhile the average parities of meat producers for buffalo and cow meat were calculated as 0.80. It was determined that the price of buffalo milk was almost 1/3 to 2 times as expensive as cow milk price between the years of 2007–2010.

Conclusively, when we examined the economic parameters causing decrease in buffalo breeding, it was seen that agricultural mechanization triggered this process in socio-economical aspects and domestic cattle breeding population transformed into a highly productive crossbreed cattle population. This transformation may have been a result of increased artificial insemination and rapidly increased imports of pregnant heifer and breeding cattle after 1986 (Akman 2006). This change in the population yielded a higher meat and milk productivity.  Therefore the preference of stock breeders changed in favor of cattle. This trend continued in the same manner until 2007. It was determined that no support was given to encourage the breeders for buffalo breeding in the same period.

Conclusion

•  The results of this study revealed that a more permanent solution should be created and implemented for sustainable buffalo breeding.

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Received 30 September 2013; Accepted 22 January 2014; Published 4 February 2014

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