Diagnostique des systèmes de production dans les exploitations de bovin de la région semi-aride algérienne et évaluation de la réponse des animaux aux pratiques de conduite

Abstract

In Algeria, the development actions carried out to promote the dairy cattle sector have not led to the expected results. The semi-arid region of Algeria, and more particularly the dairy basin of Setif, has a high potential for cattle breeding, but the farm models that hold cattle remain poorly known (structures, production factors, production systems, dynamics and performance). Thus, the studies conducted on cattle breeding systems in this region have come up against the need to refer to the production system in order to identify their functioning and strategies. This systemic and global diagnostic work on the farm integrating a cattle workshop in the semi-arid region of Algeria had several objectives and levels of exploration. The aim is to carry out a description of cattle farms in the different agro-ecological zones, to explore the determinants of diversification of agricultural and livestock activities within the farm, to typify the diversity of production systems, to analyse the regional dynamics of production systems and to evaluate the economic performance of cattle farming. To meet these objectives, field surveys were conducted in three stages during the period 2012-2018, on a representative sample of farms integrating a cattle-breeding workshop in the dairy basin of Setif. The results obtained reveal the complexity of the cattle farm model as well as the heterogeneity of its structures and organization modes within the same agroecological zones, but also between zones. Farms develop strategies at different levels of the production system (agriculture, livestock and cattle) and this depends on several variables (the area and the farmer's profile), and on production factors (agricultural land, family labour, herd size). The typology of production systems has shown that this diversity can be summarised in four types of production systems. The production system is mainly associated with the agro-ecological zone but also depends on other factors. To address economic and climatic constraints, our study sheds light on six types of resilience strategy-trajectories adopted by farmers, through adjustments to the size of the cattle herd and levels of livestock specialization. The survey of performance levels and the factors that control them shows that the variability of economic efficiency in dairy cattle breeding in the Setif region can be explained by structural factors such as the size of the cow herd and the profile of the breeder. These findings deserve to be taken into consideration in the rehabilitation programs for the cattle sector, as a diagnosis is a prerequisite for the prescription of solutions.