Artigo
Profile of dairy cattle farmers in the Northwest of Minas Gerais and the perception about the use of artificial insemination
Autor
Cunha, Julio César da
Araújo, Itallo Conrado Sousa de
Resende Filho, Napier João
Carvalho, Giovanni Ribeiro de
Institución
Resumen
This study aimed to characterize the profile of milk cattle farmers of the Northwest region of Minas Gerais
State regarding the use of artificial insemination (AI) and see the most relevant factors in the perception of farmers for the
adoption process of AI. From January to April 2014, 97 milk cattle farmers associated to milk cooperatives of the municipalities
of northeastern Minas Gerais were interviewed. Of those interviewed farmers, 61.3% did not use artificial insemination. The
majority (92.48%) of respondents were male and 48.88% were over 53 years of age, with low schooling, incomplete primary
education (28.57%), or complete primary education (25.97%). Among the respondents, 66.67% had over 20 years experience
in dairy farming. The average breeders by property were 99, and the average size of properties was 73 hectares (ha). In general,
it was found that personal motivation is the main driver for the adoption of AI, and it is more linked to positive expectations
generated by the phenotype of the animals than to economic factors. The prerequisites for adoption of AI are in the background
and, among them, manpower, infrastructure, and animal handling are prominent, followed by social influence, evidenced by
entities and persons involved in AI and in the daily life of farmers. Little emphasis on human resource management and use
of scientific knowledge may have affected the adoption of biotechnology, resulting in low utilization. It is also possible to
associate the advanced age of farmers to the resistance to the use of reproductive biotechnologies.