Water Quality: Farmers' perception of the importance of the quantity and quality of water used for dairy cattle in Portugal

Abstract

Climate change affects livestock systems through direct impacts on the physiology, behavior, production and welfare of animals and indirectly through the availability, composition and quality of food and milk. The aim of this study is to ascertain whether dairy cattle farmers in Portugal (1) consider the issue of ”water scarcity and quality” to be important on dairy cattle farms. Questionnaires were sent to dairy cattle farms in mainland Portugal. The farms (n=285) were selected based on their location, using the databases of the Portuguese Association of Friesian and the Dairy Cattle Support Station. The questionnaires aimed to collect information on (1) the importance of water attributed by producers; (2) water monitoring and storage; (3) production, reproduction and animal health; (4) verification of the latest analysis water report. The preliminary results of the questionnaires indicate that 51% of farms consider that water quantity alone is the most important factor on dairy farms; 98% of producers say that, in the context of climate change, water scarcity is very worrying; 91% of farms use their own water (borehole); 40% of farms do NOT carry out water quality analyses; 86% of farms do NOT monitor water consumption; 88% of farms do NOT carry out any kind of water treatment. The main problem found in the water analyses consulted was associated with microbiological quality (presence of E. Coli >0 NMP/100ml; intestinal enterococci > 0 cfu/100ml), followed by the presence of iron (>3mg/L), nitrates (>200 mg/L) and manganese (>4mg/L).