Investigation of socio-demographic characteristics, breeding preferences and problems of breeders and structural characteristics of cattle farms in Bingol province

Cattle farming holds a critical position in terms of producing important products used in human nutrition such as meat and milk, and it serves as a significant source of employment for people living in rural areas. Therefore, cattle farming is a strategic sector at the national level. Interest in cattle farming activities in Turkey is continuously increasing, and many enterprises are involved in cattle farming activities, leading to a gradual increase in sectoral activities. Bingol has emerged as a province with significant investments in cattle farming in recent years and is becoming a developing province in the sector. This study was conducted to determine the socio-demographic characteristics of cattle farmers, their farming preferences and issues, and the structural characteristics of cattle farming enterprises in Bingol province. For this purpose, data from face to face surveys conducted with a total of 372 breeders in Bingöl province and its districts, as well as data obtained during farm visits, were utilized. It was determined that 57.0% of the farmers were between the ages of 18 and 50 years, 71.2% had no source of income other than cattle farming, 87.9% were not members of any breeder association, 61.8% were not satisfied with livestock farming, 88.4% complained about the high prices of feed, and 63.0% faced market problems. It was also stated that 22.0% of the enterprises received regular veterinary services, all of them vaccinated their animals against Foot and Mouth Disease, Lumpy Skin Disease and Brucellosis, 54.0% kept records, 92.5% preferred to breed Simmental cattle, 72.6% had separate barns from their houses, 48.4% engaged in pasture farming for more than 6 months, 52.7% used straw frequently as roughage, 69.9% did not produce fodder crops, 74.2% had women working in milking process, and 32.8% applied artificial insemination. There were statistically significant differences between the use of artificial insemination and the number of animals (p<0.01), as well as between the age of farmers and the number of animals in the enterprises, between the roughage provided for animals and the production of fodder crops, and between the household sizes of farmers and the methods of rearing calves (p<0.05). It was concluded that there was a lack of sufficient knowledge among the farmers about shelter type preferences and the barns were poor in terms of criteria such as ventilation and litter. It was understood that all farmers participated in mandatory vaccination programs for animal health. The farmers mostly declared the market and high feed prices as significant problems. It is believed that supporting farmers through training and incentives about shelter designs and breeding methods and promoting the market opportunities will increase income level of cattle farmers and, thereby enhance the potential of cattle breeding in Bingol province.