Victor Cabrera - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Victor Cabrera
Dairy farms have embraced technological innovations and procured vast amounts of data, but integr... more Dairy farms have embraced technological innovations and procured vast amounts of data, but integrating these data to improve whole farm-based management and decision-making has proven challenging. It is imperative to move towards systems that can collect, integrate, manage, and analyze relevant data in real-time and provide inferences and learning to maximize profit and reduce environmental impact.2019 Operations Managers Conference, sponsored by Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY and NEDP
EDIS
AE468, a 9-page illustrated fact sheet by Norman Breuer, Víctor Cabrera, Peter E. Hildebrand, and... more AE468, a 9-page illustrated fact sheet by Norman Breuer, Víctor Cabrera, Peter E. Hildebrand, and James W. Jones, is the Spanish language version of CIR1476/AE289 Climate-Based Management Options for North Central Florida Beef Cattle Producers. It presents the results of a study interviewing ranchers and extension agents in North Central Florida, with an aim of developing user-friendly decision support systems for the agricultural production clientele. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, November 2010.
The Journal of Extension, 2018
Extension. The goal of the Repro Money program was to help Wisconsin dairy farmers increase repro... more Extension. The goal of the Repro Money program was to help Wisconsin dairy farmers increase reproductive performance and profitability through identification of areas for improvement and implementation of action plans. For the 40 Wisconsin dairy farms that completed the Repro Money program, mean 21-day pregnancy rate increased by 2 percentage points, which was estimated to result in an economic net gain of $31 per cow per year. Extension professionals can apply similar team-based programs to tackle multifaceted, interrelated problems that may be only partially addressed by other, more traditional programming.
Journal of development and agricultural economics, Jul 30, 2011
An unbalanced panel data including 1,151 farm observations from 2004 to 2008 was used to analyze ... more An unbalanced panel data including 1,151 farm observations from 2004 to 2008 was used to analyze the determinants of technical efficiency (TE) for dairy farms in the State of Wisconsin. To account for farm heterogeneity in our analysis we implemented a two-step framework using a stochastic production frontier and a quantile regression analysis. The results show that the determinants of TE affected farmers with different levels of TE in a very specific ways. This outcome is of significant importance from an empirical point of view. Farmers could use this knowledge to find alternatives to improve their specific level of performance. Additionally, Policy makers could use this information to improve the effectiveness of their policies by targeting specific agricultural services and aid to group of farmers with similar levels of TE.
Animals, 2022
A survey to explore the challenges and opportunities for dairy farm data management and governanc... more A survey to explore the challenges and opportunities for dairy farm data management and governance was completed by 73 farmers and 96 non-farmers. Although 91% of them find data sharing beneficial, 69% are unfamiliar with data collection protocols and standards, and 66% of farmers feel powerless over their data chain of custody. Although 58% of farmers share data, only 19% of them recall having signed a data share agreement. Fifty-two percent of respondents agree that data collected on farm belongs only to the farmer, with 25% of farmers believing intellectual property products are being developed with their data, and 90% of all said companies should pay farmers when making money from their data. Farmers and non-farmers are somewhat concerned about data ownership, security, and confidentiality, but non-farmers were more concerned about data collection standards and lack of integration. Sixty-two percent of farmers integrate data from different sources. Farmers’ most used technologie...
This article examines the role of neighboring farmers' characteristics in the analysis of dynamic... more This article examines the role of neighboring farmers' characteristics in the analysis of dynamic productivity growth and its components, namely dynamic technical inefficiency change, dynamic technical change, and dynamic scale inefficiency change. The empirical application focuses on spatially explicit farm-level data for the Wisconsin dairy sector covering the period 2009 to 2017. Employing a production framework that accounts for the dynamics of capital adjustment, dynamic productivity growth and its components are calculated as a fist step and subsequently, non-spatial and spatial panel data models are estimated and compared to examine the presence of spatial interdependencies in dynamic productivity growth and its decompositions. Results show that neighboring farmers' characteristics and, more specifically, their financial and production characteristics, influence farm dynamic productivity growth and its components. Judgments are then made, based on theory and institutional context, about the potential channels through which these effects operate. Results also show that in addition to neighboring farmers' characteristics, own-farm characteristics and climatic conditions play an important role in explaining farm dynamic productivity growth and its components.
This study analyzes the potential synergies and conflicts of interest between farmers and insurer... more This study analyzes the potential synergies and conflicts of interest between farmers and insurers in the selection of an optimal crop insurance contract. Special attention is given to how climate information influences this decision-making process. To do so, we consider a representative 40 hectares, rainfed, cotton-peanut farm located in Jackson County in Florida. Our results show that year-to-year ENSO-based climate variability affects farmers' income and insurers' gains according to crop insurance contracts. Additionally, introduction of ENSO-based climate forecasts presents a significant impact on the selection of a particular contract. We conclude that insurers and farmers can bridge their divergent interests by improving their understanding of the effect of climate conditions on the development of sustainable business plans.
The objective of this study was to compare the optimal replacement decisions using two alternativ... more The objective of this study was to compare the optimal replacement decisions using two alternative state-of-the-art models: the optimization dynamic programming model and the Markov chain simulation model. Lactation, month in milk and pregnancy status were used to describe cow states in a herd in both models. Both models were fed with the same parameters and transition probabilities to make the fairest comparison possible. The cow value calculated by the Markov chain model was compared against the retention pay-off estimated by the dynamic programming model. These values were used to rank all the animals in the herd. Then, the rank correlation (Spearman's correlation) was calculated between results of both models. The overall correlation was 95%, which showed a strong linear relationship between rankings of animals from the two models. Moreover, the lowest 10% ranking cows -which are the most likely replacement candidates- displayed a greater correlation, 98%. Thus, the final re...
Materials Today: Proceedings, 2022
EDIS, 2019
The objective of this study was first to understand how ENSO seasonal change interacts with grass... more The objective of this study was first to understand how ENSO seasonal change interacts with grass production and cow-calf production in north central Florida, and second, what management decisions ranchers could make to reduce risk and vulnerability, thus taking advantage of improved forecasts. For this study, 38 ranchers and 41 extension agents were interviewed. This document is Circular 1476, one of a series of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published May 2005.
EDIS, 2019
Dairy farmers in the Suwannee River Basin are aware that environmental issues will be among the g... more Dairy farmers in the Suwannee River Basin are aware that environmental issues will be among the greatest challenges they face in the near future. Dairy waste is thought to be an important factor contributing to nitrogen pollution in local waters. Dairy farmers are now required to comply with stricter environmental regulations, either under permit or under voluntary incentive-based programs. Dairies face increased regulation because of social pressure, while larger herds attract the attention of neighbors and activists concerned with odors, flies, and especially, potential leaching of nutrients that might influence water quality (Giesy et al., 2003). his document is IFAS Circular 1464, one of a series of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Sciences, University of Florida. Published January 2005.
Livestock Gross Margin insurance for dairy cattle (LGM-Dairy) is a risk management tool that can ... more Livestock Gross Margin insurance for dairy cattle (LGM-Dairy) is a risk management tool that can be used to insure a lower bound on a dairy producer’s gross margin. In this paper we (1) review the basic structure of LGM-Dairy (2) examine the sensitivity of Gross Margin Guarantee (GMG) and premium to changes in feeding regimes and (3) quantify impacts of changes in deductible level on important program characteristics.
Introduction Nutritional grouping is a herd management strategy that provides different diets to ... more Introduction Nutritional grouping is a herd management strategy that provides different diets to different groups of lactating cows to better fulfill their nutrient requirements. Hence, it can be beneficial by saving feed costs, improving productivity, improving herd health, and decreasing nutrient emissions to the environment (Cabrera and Kalantari, 2016). Total mixed rations have become an industry standard for feeding management. For example, 58% of Wisconsin and Michigan dairy farms used the same TMR for all lactating cows (Contreras-Govea et al., 2015). When feeding only 1 TMR diet, it is usually formulated for high-producing cows to ensure these cows reach their full milk production potential (Weiss, 2014), which results in overfeeding lower-producing cows (Cabrera and Kalantari, 2016). A strategy to relieve this problem is adopting nutritional grouping with more precise diets, which will result in financial advantages due to the better-tailored diet to the cow requirements in...
Take Home Messages Milking cows using automatic milking systems (AMS) goes against some basic... more Take Home Messages Milking cows using automatic milking systems (AMS) goes against some basic behavioral drives of cattle: gregarious and crepuscular feeding activity. The most commonly recommended way of milking cows with an AMS is using free-traffic and investing in labor to fetch cows during times of the day when the waiting area is less cluttered. If possible, try to separate primiparous from multiparous cows in order to maximize the number of daily milkings of primiparous cows. Using large feed allowances in the AMS does not seem to be an effective strategy to improve milking frequency. Palatability of the feed may be more important than its actual nutrient composition. Delivering PMR twice daily or more and limiting concentrate allowance in the AMS to 3-4 kg/d seems to be the optimal strategy to maximize consistency of milkings. A combination of multiple concentrates (both in terms of total amount and proportion) to precisely meet nutrient requirements of each cow in the herd is an effective strategy to improve economic returns in herds with AMS Introduction The first commercial automatic milking system (AMS) was installed in 1992, and today there are more than 12,000 units installed worldwide. However, the installation of AMS in a dairy herd not only implies a change in the milking parlor, it also entails drastic changes in management, feeding, and even the layout of the facilities. Cows in herds equipped with conventional milking
This study analyzes the determinants of TE among traditional dairy farms in the State of Wisconsi... more This study analyzes the determinants of TE among traditional dairy farms in the State of Wisconsin taking into account dairy farms’ heterogeneity. To do so, we first estimate a production frontier and the level of TE using the SPF framework. Then we analyze the determinants of TI using a quantile regression analysis. The results indicate that the determinants of TE affect in very specific ways farmers with different levels of TE. This result confirms our hypothesis on the importance of controlling for farm heterogeneity when analyzing the determinants of TE. This issue is also important from an empirical point of view. Policy makers could improve the effectiveness of their work by targeting specific agricultural services and aid designed for farmers with different level of TE.
This study examines the effect of climatic variables on dairy farm productivity using panel data ... more This study examines the effect of climatic variables on dairy farm productivity using panel data for the state of Wisconsin along with alternative stochastic frontier models. A noteworthy feature of this analysis is that Wisconsin is a major dairy producing area where winters are typically very cold and snowy, and summers hot and humid. Thus, it is an ideal geographical region for examining the effects of a range of climatic factors on dairy production. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the climatic effect on the productivity of Wisconsin farms. We identify the effect of temperature and precipitation, both jointly and separately, on milk output. The analysis shows that increasing temperature in summer or in autumn is harmful for dairy production, while warmer winters and warmer springs are beneficial. By contrast, more precipitation has a consistent adverse effect on dairy productivity. Overall, in the past 17 years, climatic conditions have had a negative impact on the ...
Reproductive improvement results in higher milk productivity and, therefore, higher milk income o... more Reproductive improvement results in higher milk productivity and, therefore, higher milk income over feed cost, more calf sales and lower culling and breeding expenses. Therefore, as the reproductive efficiency improves, the herd net return increases. These increments follow the law of diminishing returns, increases at a decreasing pace, but are still positive even at high reproductive performance (e.g., 40% 21 day pregnancy rate). Most herds in the United States use a combination of timed artificial insemination (TAI) and estrous detection (ED) reproductive programs. The ratio of achievable pregnancies between ED and TAI determines the economic value difference between both and their combinations. Nonetheless, complex interactions between reproductive programs, herd relative milk yield, and type of reproductive programs exist. Improved reproductive efficiency produces extra replacements. The availability of additional replacements allow more aggressive culling policies (e.g., less ...
Dairy farmers might be over-feeding a large proportion of lactating cows when they feed the same ... more Dairy farmers might be over-feeding a large proportion of lactating cows when they feed the same ration to a large group of animals. Diets are normally formulated to provide enough nutrients to the most productive animals, which in turn gives extra nutrients to the less productive animals. Therefore, splitting lactating cows in smaller groups and offering group-specific feeding rations provides more precise nutrient requirements, increases herd’s income over feed cost, and decreases nutrient excretion to the environment. Depending on the farm facilities and extra management costs, considering additional grouping for feeding purposes could be a profitable decision in modern dairy farming.
Dairy farms have embraced technological innovations and procured vast amounts of data, but integr... more Dairy farms have embraced technological innovations and procured vast amounts of data, but integrating these data to improve whole farm-based management and decision-making has proven challenging. It is imperative to move towards systems that can collect, integrate, manage, and analyze relevant data in real-time and provide inferences and learning to maximize profit and reduce environmental impact.2019 Operations Managers Conference, sponsored by Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY and NEDP
EDIS
AE468, a 9-page illustrated fact sheet by Norman Breuer, Víctor Cabrera, Peter E. Hildebrand, and... more AE468, a 9-page illustrated fact sheet by Norman Breuer, Víctor Cabrera, Peter E. Hildebrand, and James W. Jones, is the Spanish language version of CIR1476/AE289 Climate-Based Management Options for North Central Florida Beef Cattle Producers. It presents the results of a study interviewing ranchers and extension agents in North Central Florida, with an aim of developing user-friendly decision support systems for the agricultural production clientele. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, November 2010.
The Journal of Extension, 2018
Extension. The goal of the Repro Money program was to help Wisconsin dairy farmers increase repro... more Extension. The goal of the Repro Money program was to help Wisconsin dairy farmers increase reproductive performance and profitability through identification of areas for improvement and implementation of action plans. For the 40 Wisconsin dairy farms that completed the Repro Money program, mean 21-day pregnancy rate increased by 2 percentage points, which was estimated to result in an economic net gain of $31 per cow per year. Extension professionals can apply similar team-based programs to tackle multifaceted, interrelated problems that may be only partially addressed by other, more traditional programming.
Journal of development and agricultural economics, Jul 30, 2011
An unbalanced panel data including 1,151 farm observations from 2004 to 2008 was used to analyze ... more An unbalanced panel data including 1,151 farm observations from 2004 to 2008 was used to analyze the determinants of technical efficiency (TE) for dairy farms in the State of Wisconsin. To account for farm heterogeneity in our analysis we implemented a two-step framework using a stochastic production frontier and a quantile regression analysis. The results show that the determinants of TE affected farmers with different levels of TE in a very specific ways. This outcome is of significant importance from an empirical point of view. Farmers could use this knowledge to find alternatives to improve their specific level of performance. Additionally, Policy makers could use this information to improve the effectiveness of their policies by targeting specific agricultural services and aid to group of farmers with similar levels of TE.
Animals, 2022
A survey to explore the challenges and opportunities for dairy farm data management and governanc... more A survey to explore the challenges and opportunities for dairy farm data management and governance was completed by 73 farmers and 96 non-farmers. Although 91% of them find data sharing beneficial, 69% are unfamiliar with data collection protocols and standards, and 66% of farmers feel powerless over their data chain of custody. Although 58% of farmers share data, only 19% of them recall having signed a data share agreement. Fifty-two percent of respondents agree that data collected on farm belongs only to the farmer, with 25% of farmers believing intellectual property products are being developed with their data, and 90% of all said companies should pay farmers when making money from their data. Farmers and non-farmers are somewhat concerned about data ownership, security, and confidentiality, but non-farmers were more concerned about data collection standards and lack of integration. Sixty-two percent of farmers integrate data from different sources. Farmers’ most used technologie...
This article examines the role of neighboring farmers' characteristics in the analysis of dynamic... more This article examines the role of neighboring farmers' characteristics in the analysis of dynamic productivity growth and its components, namely dynamic technical inefficiency change, dynamic technical change, and dynamic scale inefficiency change. The empirical application focuses on spatially explicit farm-level data for the Wisconsin dairy sector covering the period 2009 to 2017. Employing a production framework that accounts for the dynamics of capital adjustment, dynamic productivity growth and its components are calculated as a fist step and subsequently, non-spatial and spatial panel data models are estimated and compared to examine the presence of spatial interdependencies in dynamic productivity growth and its decompositions. Results show that neighboring farmers' characteristics and, more specifically, their financial and production characteristics, influence farm dynamic productivity growth and its components. Judgments are then made, based on theory and institutional context, about the potential channels through which these effects operate. Results also show that in addition to neighboring farmers' characteristics, own-farm characteristics and climatic conditions play an important role in explaining farm dynamic productivity growth and its components.
This study analyzes the potential synergies and conflicts of interest between farmers and insurer... more This study analyzes the potential synergies and conflicts of interest between farmers and insurers in the selection of an optimal crop insurance contract. Special attention is given to how climate information influences this decision-making process. To do so, we consider a representative 40 hectares, rainfed, cotton-peanut farm located in Jackson County in Florida. Our results show that year-to-year ENSO-based climate variability affects farmers' income and insurers' gains according to crop insurance contracts. Additionally, introduction of ENSO-based climate forecasts presents a significant impact on the selection of a particular contract. We conclude that insurers and farmers can bridge their divergent interests by improving their understanding of the effect of climate conditions on the development of sustainable business plans.
The objective of this study was to compare the optimal replacement decisions using two alternativ... more The objective of this study was to compare the optimal replacement decisions using two alternative state-of-the-art models: the optimization dynamic programming model and the Markov chain simulation model. Lactation, month in milk and pregnancy status were used to describe cow states in a herd in both models. Both models were fed with the same parameters and transition probabilities to make the fairest comparison possible. The cow value calculated by the Markov chain model was compared against the retention pay-off estimated by the dynamic programming model. These values were used to rank all the animals in the herd. Then, the rank correlation (Spearman's correlation) was calculated between results of both models. The overall correlation was 95%, which showed a strong linear relationship between rankings of animals from the two models. Moreover, the lowest 10% ranking cows -which are the most likely replacement candidates- displayed a greater correlation, 98%. Thus, the final re...
Materials Today: Proceedings, 2022
EDIS, 2019
The objective of this study was first to understand how ENSO seasonal change interacts with grass... more The objective of this study was first to understand how ENSO seasonal change interacts with grass production and cow-calf production in north central Florida, and second, what management decisions ranchers could make to reduce risk and vulnerability, thus taking advantage of improved forecasts. For this study, 38 ranchers and 41 extension agents were interviewed. This document is Circular 1476, one of a series of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Published May 2005.
EDIS, 2019
Dairy farmers in the Suwannee River Basin are aware that environmental issues will be among the g... more Dairy farmers in the Suwannee River Basin are aware that environmental issues will be among the greatest challenges they face in the near future. Dairy waste is thought to be an important factor contributing to nitrogen pollution in local waters. Dairy farmers are now required to comply with stricter environmental regulations, either under permit or under voluntary incentive-based programs. Dairies face increased regulation because of social pressure, while larger herds attract the attention of neighbors and activists concerned with odors, flies, and especially, potential leaching of nutrients that might influence water quality (Giesy et al., 2003). his document is IFAS Circular 1464, one of a series of the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Sciences, University of Florida. Published January 2005.
Livestock Gross Margin insurance for dairy cattle (LGM-Dairy) is a risk management tool that can ... more Livestock Gross Margin insurance for dairy cattle (LGM-Dairy) is a risk management tool that can be used to insure a lower bound on a dairy producer’s gross margin. In this paper we (1) review the basic structure of LGM-Dairy (2) examine the sensitivity of Gross Margin Guarantee (GMG) and premium to changes in feeding regimes and (3) quantify impacts of changes in deductible level on important program characteristics.
Introduction Nutritional grouping is a herd management strategy that provides different diets to ... more Introduction Nutritional grouping is a herd management strategy that provides different diets to different groups of lactating cows to better fulfill their nutrient requirements. Hence, it can be beneficial by saving feed costs, improving productivity, improving herd health, and decreasing nutrient emissions to the environment (Cabrera and Kalantari, 2016). Total mixed rations have become an industry standard for feeding management. For example, 58% of Wisconsin and Michigan dairy farms used the same TMR for all lactating cows (Contreras-Govea et al., 2015). When feeding only 1 TMR diet, it is usually formulated for high-producing cows to ensure these cows reach their full milk production potential (Weiss, 2014), which results in overfeeding lower-producing cows (Cabrera and Kalantari, 2016). A strategy to relieve this problem is adopting nutritional grouping with more precise diets, which will result in financial advantages due to the better-tailored diet to the cow requirements in...
Take Home Messages Milking cows using automatic milking systems (AMS) goes against some basic... more Take Home Messages Milking cows using automatic milking systems (AMS) goes against some basic behavioral drives of cattle: gregarious and crepuscular feeding activity. The most commonly recommended way of milking cows with an AMS is using free-traffic and investing in labor to fetch cows during times of the day when the waiting area is less cluttered. If possible, try to separate primiparous from multiparous cows in order to maximize the number of daily milkings of primiparous cows. Using large feed allowances in the AMS does not seem to be an effective strategy to improve milking frequency. Palatability of the feed may be more important than its actual nutrient composition. Delivering PMR twice daily or more and limiting concentrate allowance in the AMS to 3-4 kg/d seems to be the optimal strategy to maximize consistency of milkings. A combination of multiple concentrates (both in terms of total amount and proportion) to precisely meet nutrient requirements of each cow in the herd is an effective strategy to improve economic returns in herds with AMS Introduction The first commercial automatic milking system (AMS) was installed in 1992, and today there are more than 12,000 units installed worldwide. However, the installation of AMS in a dairy herd not only implies a change in the milking parlor, it also entails drastic changes in management, feeding, and even the layout of the facilities. Cows in herds equipped with conventional milking
This study analyzes the determinants of TE among traditional dairy farms in the State of Wisconsi... more This study analyzes the determinants of TE among traditional dairy farms in the State of Wisconsin taking into account dairy farms’ heterogeneity. To do so, we first estimate a production frontier and the level of TE using the SPF framework. Then we analyze the determinants of TI using a quantile regression analysis. The results indicate that the determinants of TE affect in very specific ways farmers with different levels of TE. This result confirms our hypothesis on the importance of controlling for farm heterogeneity when analyzing the determinants of TE. This issue is also important from an empirical point of view. Policy makers could improve the effectiveness of their work by targeting specific agricultural services and aid designed for farmers with different level of TE.
This study examines the effect of climatic variables on dairy farm productivity using panel data ... more This study examines the effect of climatic variables on dairy farm productivity using panel data for the state of Wisconsin along with alternative stochastic frontier models. A noteworthy feature of this analysis is that Wisconsin is a major dairy producing area where winters are typically very cold and snowy, and summers hot and humid. Thus, it is an ideal geographical region for examining the effects of a range of climatic factors on dairy production. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the climatic effect on the productivity of Wisconsin farms. We identify the effect of temperature and precipitation, both jointly and separately, on milk output. The analysis shows that increasing temperature in summer or in autumn is harmful for dairy production, while warmer winters and warmer springs are beneficial. By contrast, more precipitation has a consistent adverse effect on dairy productivity. Overall, in the past 17 years, climatic conditions have had a negative impact on the ...
Reproductive improvement results in higher milk productivity and, therefore, higher milk income o... more Reproductive improvement results in higher milk productivity and, therefore, higher milk income over feed cost, more calf sales and lower culling and breeding expenses. Therefore, as the reproductive efficiency improves, the herd net return increases. These increments follow the law of diminishing returns, increases at a decreasing pace, but are still positive even at high reproductive performance (e.g., 40% 21 day pregnancy rate). Most herds in the United States use a combination of timed artificial insemination (TAI) and estrous detection (ED) reproductive programs. The ratio of achievable pregnancies between ED and TAI determines the economic value difference between both and their combinations. Nonetheless, complex interactions between reproductive programs, herd relative milk yield, and type of reproductive programs exist. Improved reproductive efficiency produces extra replacements. The availability of additional replacements allow more aggressive culling policies (e.g., less ...
Dairy farmers might be over-feeding a large proportion of lactating cows when they feed the same ... more Dairy farmers might be over-feeding a large proportion of lactating cows when they feed the same ration to a large group of animals. Diets are normally formulated to provide enough nutrients to the most productive animals, which in turn gives extra nutrients to the less productive animals. Therefore, splitting lactating cows in smaller groups and offering group-specific feeding rations provides more precise nutrient requirements, increases herd’s income over feed cost, and decreases nutrient excretion to the environment. Depending on the farm facilities and extra management costs, considering additional grouping for feeding purposes could be a profitable decision in modern dairy farming.