Productivity potential of camels

Faye Bernard. 2005. Productivity potential of camels. In : Desertification combat and food safety : the added value of camel producers. Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, 19-21 April 2004, Ashgabad, Turkmenistan. Faye Bernard (ed.), Esenov Palmated (ed.). CIRAD, NIDFF, NILVM. Amsterdam : IOS Press, 127-134. (NATO sciences series, 362) ISBN 1-58603-473-1 Workshop on Desertification Combat and Food Safety, Ashgabad, Turkménistan, 19 Avril 2004/21 Avril 2004.

Résumé : If it is agreed that camel has the ability to produce more milk than cow in similar conditions. However, the camel milk productivity is not well known. Data from the literature are scarce and mainly issued from observations in research station, more rarely from pastoral areas where performance monitoring is not common. Elsewhere, the data are not homogeneous from one author to another: mean daily yield, total yield per lactation, herd average... So, the comparisons are not easy. Furthermore, a high variability of reported productions appears which lead to suppose a potential for the selection on that criterion. This selection is possible but rarely achieved except in Soviet Union time for dromedary and Bactrian camels. The world production of camel milk is officially estimated to 1.3 million tons in 2002. However, according to the high level of self-consumption and of the individual potential, probably this production could be higher (i.e. 5.4 millions tons). The individual production varies between 1000 and 12000 litres per lactation according to some sources. The lactation curve is similar to bovine with a better persistence. The lactation length is very variable (from 8 to 18 months in general), i.e. longer than for dairy cattle in similar conditions. Obviously, the feeding and seasonal conditions have an impact on those performances. Some intensified systems occurring in many places showed good prospects in camel milk production to supply populations from arid lands.

Classification Agris : L01 - Élevage - Considérations générales

Auteurs et affiliations

• Faye Bernard, CIRAD-EMVT-PPA (FRA)

Source : Cirad - Agritrop (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/525428/)

Métriques

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