Economic impact of mastitis in six farms of Araxá - Minas Gerais state, Brazil

Abstract

The economic impact of mastitis was estimated in six farms of the Araxá Region in the State of Minas Gerais, making use of accounting records. The veterinary products used for mastitis between May 1997 and May 1998 were grouped into treatment and prevention classes. The number of clinically infected quarters was obtained from the standard treatment doses and from this, the number of sub-clinically affected quarters was estimated. The costs of discarded cow replacement, veterinary services, labour for treatment and prevention, and loss of returns from discarded milk and lower yield (obtained from the literature) were added to the costs of veterinary products to obtain the total cost. The average percentage of clinically affected quarters was 4.89% and the estimated ratio of sub-clinical/clinical quarters was 8.81. The total annual costs plus losses from mastitis were US$ 126 per cow in milk. Of this total, 60% and 15% were due to losses of milk production casued by sub-clinical and clinical mastitis, respectively; 12% was due to non-functional quarters lost to mastitis, 6% top extra labour, 2% to cow replacements, 2% to veterinary products, 2% to veterinary services and 2% to discarded milk.