Food Protection Trends - January/February 2023 - 95

milk) is approximately 22 kg per capita per year (15). Over
the last decade, milk and dairy product consumption has
increased dramatically, and small processing units supply
a large portion of the local production. Milk and milk
products are vital in feeding Senegal's rural and urban
populations. Eighty percent of the milk produced in rural
areas is consumed locally. Despite a campaign titled " Mon
lait est local " (i.e., my milk is local) to promote domestic
consumption of milk in West African countries, including
Senegal, the majority of the milk consumed is imported
from Europe in powdered form (8). Senegal imports 26,104
tons of milk equivalent annually (53% of this is dried milk
powder). Dairy imports pose a significant burden on the
country's trade balance, amounting to USD 121 million in
2012 (22).
The dairy herd comprises native and exotic cattle breeds
and hybrids between them. Because of its trypanotolerance,
the Zebu Gobra is usually found in the Sahelian region of
the country (north and center) and the taurine N'Dama in
the south and east (Sahelo-Sudanean zone). The Djakoré, a
genetic type emerging from the interbreeding of the Zebu
Gobra and the N'Dama and taurine lines, is found in the
transition zones between these two native habitats. Whereas
local breeds have good carcass dressing potential, they
have little dairy potential. Therefore, exotic breeds, namely
Jersey, Montbeliard, Holstein, and Gir, have been introduced
to promote a higher milk supply for urban and suburban
populations (65). Over 2 years, data from 220 smallholder
dairy cattle farms suggested that it was most cost-beneficial
for such farms to keep crossbreeds of indigenous Zebu and
exotic Bos taurus (44). Improvements in dairy cattle genetics
and in management have increased milk production and cow
reproductive performance and, subsequently, have improved
the livelihoods of the rural poor and have increased livestock
production self-sufficiency in Senegal (16).
Senegal is divided into three different dairy production
systems (Fig. 1): (i) the extensive pastoral system, (ii) the
agropastoral system, and, most recently, (iii) the intensive
system (19). Many factors affect milk production: climate
changes, water resources, pasture, lack of veterinary services,
and problems with dairy farmers' knowledge, attitudes,
and practices regarding milk-borne pathogens (65). Due to
consumer demands for safe and high-quality milk, it was recommended
that dairy producers, retailers, and manufacturers
take responsibility for producing and marketing healthy milk
and milk products (2).
Role of climate change in milk production
Senegal has a tropical hot and humid climate with a
dry season from November to May and a rainy season
from June to October (65). Variations in temperature and
the frequency of extreme climate events directly affect
livestock performance and welfare. They indirectly affect
animals by changes in feed and grassland availability and
Figure 1. Dairy production system Senegal (19).
the distribution of pests and parasites (25). Heat stress in
cattle is associated with higher temperatures, can negatively
impact milk production (11, 31), fertility, and health (32);
it also increases the chance of mortality (70). Heat stress
occurs when animals, exposed to temperatures outside
their thermal comfort zone, cannot eliminate enough heat
to maintain thermal equilibrium (6). Therefore, an adverse
climate is costly to the dairy industry, with increased
management interventions and lost productivity (71). The
indigenous milk production system is structured around
climatic conditions, with substantial production during the
rainy season and a slowdown or even cessation of operation
during the dry season, which lasts for 7 months. As a result,
dairy farmers are more concerned with the lack of food for
their animals than the safety of milk and milk products.
Climate change directly affects the amount and seasonality of
production (16).
One of the effects of climate change is the scarcity of
drinking water. Water makes up 87% of milk. Therefore, a
lack of clean, fresh, and high-quality water can reduce milk
production faster than any nutrient shortage (69). Dairy
cows consume approximately 45.4 liters (12 gal) of water per
0.45 kg (1 lb) of milk produced, and drinking water meets 80
to 90% of these requirements, with the balance coming from
moisture in feeds. In Senegal, dairy cows drink approximately
37.85 to 56.78 liters (10 to 15 gal) of water per day when the
temperature exceeds 21.11°C and the humidity rises. Heatstressed
cattle require 1.2 to 2 times more water than cattle
housed under thermal neutral temperature and humidity
(72). Low water intake raises hematocrit and blood urea,
reducing the respiratory rate and rumen contractions (42).
This, in turn, decreases body weight and milk output (42, 68)
and induces conflicts among water users (68). Unfortunately,
on modern dairy farms, the water intake of dairy cows is
rarely regarded as a potential limiting factor for milk output.
January/February Food Protection Trends
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Food Protection Trends - January/February 2023

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