The aim of this paper was to analyze the economic efficiency of dairy cattle farms in Albania and... more The aim of this paper was to analyze the economic efficiency of dairy cattle farms in Albania and Kosovo. It’s a descriptive and quantitative survey and the target populations were the dairy farmers in six regions of Albania and seven regions of Kosovo. The random sampling technique was used to select the respondents in both countries (in Albania 79 farms and in Kosovo 138 farms), in Albania from the list of the Regional Agricultural Directories and in Kosovo from the list of Paying Agency. Two methods of data analysis were used, namely: descriptive statistics, and gross margin analysis. The objective of this study was the comparison of the performance of the 5-10 cows farms (considered small farms) and 11+ cows farms (considered medium/large sized dairy farms). Data on: milk production, farm expenses and returns, use of milking machine, artificial insemination, fodder production, and feed bought in the market for each farm were recorded during the period 2015-2016. In Kosovo, the Gross Margin per Farm from milk and meat and Gross Margin per Farm from milk for the farms with 5-10 milking cows have negative values -318 Euro/farm and -673 Euro/farm, respectively, while the 11+ cows farms have positive values (3743 Euro/farm and 922 Euro/farm, respectively). While in Albania, as average the GMpF milk+meat and GMpF milk in both type of farms have positive results, however 15.8 percent of the 5-10 cows are showing negative results for the GMpF milk (loosing money), while for the 11+ cows farms this indicator is 31.7 percent, as the cost of production is very high. Taking into account the results obtain is a must that extension service to train the farmers for better: management of their farm, feeding system, fodder production, animal health etc.
The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and c... more The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and carcasses’ qualitative traits of the fattening rabbits was studied. 42 rabbits of six weeks old were grouped into three identical groups. The rabbits under the control group were fed ad libitum , while the ones under the two other groups (experimental groups) were fed through some feeding time restrictions, as the following: (7 hours/day) during the two and three first weeks of fattening respectively. Afterwards, up to the age of 14 weeks, all of them were fed ad libitum again. At the end of the trial, it was concluded that both the body weight and daily gain were statistically not influenced by the time duration of the restricted feeding. Although the second group of experiment showed a substantial daily feed intake (p≤0.01), non significant effects on the feed conversion rate was demonstrated. Feed restriction time for two and three weeks didn’t show the same effect on the carcasses’ parameters. While percentage of internal organs increased, abdominal fat percentage was reduced with the length of time feed restriction aged at 14 weeks.
This is an exploratory survey, aiming at assessing farmers’ sources from which they receive infor... more This is an exploratory survey, aiming at assessing farmers’ sources from which they receive information, and analyzing the extension methods that are most valuable to them. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to assess the farmers’ knowledge on agriculture practices, as well as their information knowledge competencies. A total of 40 farmers were interviewed, and the method of data analysis used is the descriptive statistics. The main source of information and advice for agro-input (seed, fertilizers and pesticides) are the agro-input dealers and village input shops. 75% of farmers get the market price information from each other. Most of the farmers (65%) think extension activities are not in line with their requirements. Out of 10 sources of information analyzed, the main source of information and knowledge for farmers are themselves. About the competence knowledge 2/3 of farmers think they have good or very good level of knowledge. 92.5% of the farmers are willing to partic...
GJECI , G., Y. BICOKU and D. IMAMI, 2016. Awareness about food safety and animal health standards... more GJECI , G., Y. BICOKU and D. IMAMI, 2016. Awareness about food safety and animal health standards – the case of dairy cattle in Albania. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 22: 339–345 The objective of this exploratory study was to assess Albanian farmers’ awareness about food safety standards. More specifi cally, the authors focused on farmers’ awareness of the food safety institutional framework, national food safety standards, and basic animal welfare. Farmers’ lack of awareness is likely a contributing factor to food standards not being met in most cases. A structured questionnaire-based study was conducted to assess farmers’ general knowledge about the food safety aspects of farm practices. Some aspects of farmers’ lack of awareness follow. In one example, about 87 percent of respondents stated that they have no cooling tank for storing milk, which is a prerequisite for meeting milk safety and quality standards. Most farmers were also found to be unaware of the institutions responsible for f...
The aim of this paper was to analyze the economic efficiency of beef farms in Kosovo and Albania.... more The aim of this paper was to analyze the economic efficiency of beef farms in Kosovo and Albania. It’s a descriptive and quantitative survey and the random sampling technique was used to select the respondents, in Kosovo 35 farms, managing mainly Simmental breed; and in Albania 19 farms, mainly Holstein and crossbred beef breeds. Two methods of data analysis were used, namely: descriptive statistics, and gross margin analysis. Data on: meat production, farm expenses and returns, fodder production, and feed bought in the market for each farm were recorded during the first half of 2016. In Kosovo, the Gross Margin per Calf is 230.13 Euro, the price of meat sold 2.32 Euro/kg and the slaughtered weight 517,88 Kg; while in Albania these figures are 173.10 Euro, 2.6 Euro/kg and 277.89, respectively. It is a must that extension service to train the farmers for better: management of their farm, feeding system, fodder production, animal health etc.
This paper aims to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on cow’s milk production in Gjilan region. It i... more This paper aims to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on cow’s milk production in Gjilan region. It is a descriptive and quantitative survey. The random sampling technique was used to select the respondents of 71 dairy farms in three municipalities of Gjilan (Vitia, Kamenica, and Gjilan). Interviews include farms where 5-78 dairy cows are bred. Data on milk production, farm expenses, and returns for each farm were recorded during the period FebruaryApril 2020 and a comparison was performed with the same period for 2019. The farmers reported that restrictive measures undertaken as a result of Covid-19, did not have any negative impact on milk production, sales, expenses and returns, however, 26,8% of the farmers interviewed reported that milk production had decreased. Farmers should improve animal feeding in the second half of 2020 and at least achieve last year's production.
The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and c... more The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and carcasses’ qualitative traits of the fattening rabbits was studied. 42 rabbits of six weeks old were grouped into three identical groups. The rabbits under the control group were fed ad libitum, while the ones under the two other groups (experimental groups) were fed through some feeding time restrictions, as the following: (7 hours/day) during the two and three first weeks of fattening respectively. Afterwards, up to the age of 18 weeks, all of them were fed ad libitum again. At the end of the trial, it was concluded that both the body weight and daily gain were statistically not influenced by the time duration of the restricted feeding. Although the second group of experiment showed a substantial daily feed intake (p ≤ 0.01), non significant effects on the feed conversion rate was demonstrated. Feed restriction time for two and three weeks didn’t show the same effect on the carcasses’ p...
The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and c... more The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and carcasses’ qualitative traits of the fattening rabbits was studied. 42 rabbits of six weeks old were grouped into three identical groups. The rabbits under the control group were fed ad libitum , while the ones under the two other groups (experimental groups) were fed through some feeding time restrictions, as the following: (7 hours/day) during the two and three first weeks of fattening respectively. Afterwards, up to the age of 14 weeks, all of them were fed ad libitum again. At the end of the trial, it was concluded that both the body weight and daily gain were statistically not influenced by the time duration of the restricted feeding. Although the second group of experiment showed a substantial daily feed intake (p≤0.01), non significant effects on the feed conversion rate was demonstrated. Feed restriction time for two and three weeks didn’t show the same effect on the carcasses’ pa...
The comparison of education level and its effect on the performance of the dairy farms in two reg... more The comparison of education level and its effect on the performance of the dairy farms in two regions of Kosovo was the objective of this exploratory study, as it is not done up to now from any institution, in the country. The data are collected from 150 respondents randomly selected from farmers' municipality database, in two regions of Kosovo (Gjilan and Ferizaj). The data were collected through face to face interviews and personal visits based on a structured questionnaire, during the period of May-July 2014. The results show significant differences between farmers (higher level of education compare with primary education) in regard with food safety standards, animal diseases, milk yield, animal identification, farm register, and feeding of the animals according to the production level. 64.4% of the farmers of secondary+ education group knew who is the institution in charge with food safety, 72.4% knew about the institution in charge of issuing the animal health certificate, ...
This is an exploratory study, that aims at assessing farmers’ awareness of food safety standards.... more This is an exploratory study, that aims at assessing farmers’ awareness of food safety standards. We expect that most farmers have limited awareness about national food safety standards, animal diseases, and given constraints in the institutional framework, and thereby such standards are not met in most cases – this survey provides insight into gaps in awareness and information at the farm level looking into different aspects. A questionnaire-based study was conducted to assess the farmers’ general knowledge about animal diseases, as well as preventive farm practices with regard to food safety. A total of 150 dairy farmers, with more than four cows per farm, were interviewed. About 87 percent of the respondents do not possess cooling tanks; 44.7 percent of farmers stated that they do not know which is the institution in charge of food safety; 11.3 percent state that they never or rarely use the ear tags; in addition most farmers’ state that they do not know symptoms of the Brucellosis (71.3%) and TBC (68.6%), indicating the low awareness level among farmers about animal diseases and food safety.
General hygienic and disease control practices need to be integrated into the milk production process, particularly at the smallholder level. Awareness, teaching, and training programs for dairy farmers can improve disease control in
animals and reduce the public health risk of milk-borne zoonosis. Also, public and donor support schemes for farmers should be strongly linked to food safety standard implementation.
The aim of this paper was to analyze the economic efficiency of dairy cattle farms in Albania and... more The aim of this paper was to analyze the economic efficiency of dairy cattle farms in Albania and Kosovo. It’s a descriptive and quantitative survey and the target populations were the dairy farmers in six regions of Albania and seven regions of Kosovo. The random sampling technique was used to select the respondents in both countries (in Albania 79 farms and in Kosovo 138 farms), in Albania from the list of the Regional Agricultural Directories and in Kosovo from the list of Paying Agency. Two methods of data analysis were used, namely: descriptive statistics, and gross margin analysis. The objective of this study was the comparison of the performance of the 5-10 cows farms (considered small farms) and 11+ cows farms (considered medium/large sized dairy farms). Data on: milk production, farm expenses and returns, use of milking machine, artificial insemination, fodder production, and feed bought in the market for each farm were recorded during the period 2015-2016. In Kosovo, the Gross Margin per Farm from milk and meat and Gross Margin per Farm from milk for the farms with 5-10 milking cows have negative values -318 Euro/farm and -673 Euro/farm, respectively, while the 11+ cows farms have positive values (3743 Euro/farm and 922 Euro/farm, respectively). While in Albania, as average the GMpF milk+meat and GMpF milk in both type of farms have positive results, however 15.8 percent of the 5-10 cows are showing negative results for the GMpF milk (loosing money), while for the 11+ cows farms this indicator is 31.7 percent, as the cost of production is very high. Taking into account the results obtain is a must that extension service to train the farmers for better: management of their farm, feeding system, fodder production, animal health etc.
The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and c... more The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and carcasses’ qualitative traits of the fattening rabbits was studied. 42 rabbits of six weeks old were grouped into three identical groups. The rabbits under the control group were fed ad libitum , while the ones under the two other groups (experimental groups) were fed through some feeding time restrictions, as the following: (7 hours/day) during the two and three first weeks of fattening respectively. Afterwards, up to the age of 14 weeks, all of them were fed ad libitum again. At the end of the trial, it was concluded that both the body weight and daily gain were statistically not influenced by the time duration of the restricted feeding. Although the second group of experiment showed a substantial daily feed intake (p≤0.01), non significant effects on the feed conversion rate was demonstrated. Feed restriction time for two and three weeks didn’t show the same effect on the carcasses’ parameters. While percentage of internal organs increased, abdominal fat percentage was reduced with the length of time feed restriction aged at 14 weeks.
This is an exploratory survey, aiming at assessing farmers’ sources from which they receive infor... more This is an exploratory survey, aiming at assessing farmers’ sources from which they receive information, and analyzing the extension methods that are most valuable to them. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to assess the farmers’ knowledge on agriculture practices, as well as their information knowledge competencies. A total of 40 farmers were interviewed, and the method of data analysis used is the descriptive statistics. The main source of information and advice for agro-input (seed, fertilizers and pesticides) are the agro-input dealers and village input shops. 75% of farmers get the market price information from each other. Most of the farmers (65%) think extension activities are not in line with their requirements. Out of 10 sources of information analyzed, the main source of information and knowledge for farmers are themselves. About the competence knowledge 2/3 of farmers think they have good or very good level of knowledge. 92.5% of the farmers are willing to partic...
GJECI , G., Y. BICOKU and D. IMAMI, 2016. Awareness about food safety and animal health standards... more GJECI , G., Y. BICOKU and D. IMAMI, 2016. Awareness about food safety and animal health standards – the case of dairy cattle in Albania. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 22: 339–345 The objective of this exploratory study was to assess Albanian farmers’ awareness about food safety standards. More specifi cally, the authors focused on farmers’ awareness of the food safety institutional framework, national food safety standards, and basic animal welfare. Farmers’ lack of awareness is likely a contributing factor to food standards not being met in most cases. A structured questionnaire-based study was conducted to assess farmers’ general knowledge about the food safety aspects of farm practices. Some aspects of farmers’ lack of awareness follow. In one example, about 87 percent of respondents stated that they have no cooling tank for storing milk, which is a prerequisite for meeting milk safety and quality standards. Most farmers were also found to be unaware of the institutions responsible for f...
The aim of this paper was to analyze the economic efficiency of beef farms in Kosovo and Albania.... more The aim of this paper was to analyze the economic efficiency of beef farms in Kosovo and Albania. It’s a descriptive and quantitative survey and the random sampling technique was used to select the respondents, in Kosovo 35 farms, managing mainly Simmental breed; and in Albania 19 farms, mainly Holstein and crossbred beef breeds. Two methods of data analysis were used, namely: descriptive statistics, and gross margin analysis. Data on: meat production, farm expenses and returns, fodder production, and feed bought in the market for each farm were recorded during the first half of 2016. In Kosovo, the Gross Margin per Calf is 230.13 Euro, the price of meat sold 2.32 Euro/kg and the slaughtered weight 517,88 Kg; while in Albania these figures are 173.10 Euro, 2.6 Euro/kg and 277.89, respectively. It is a must that extension service to train the farmers for better: management of their farm, feeding system, fodder production, animal health etc.
This paper aims to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on cow’s milk production in Gjilan region. It i... more This paper aims to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on cow’s milk production in Gjilan region. It is a descriptive and quantitative survey. The random sampling technique was used to select the respondents of 71 dairy farms in three municipalities of Gjilan (Vitia, Kamenica, and Gjilan). Interviews include farms where 5-78 dairy cows are bred. Data on milk production, farm expenses, and returns for each farm were recorded during the period FebruaryApril 2020 and a comparison was performed with the same period for 2019. The farmers reported that restrictive measures undertaken as a result of Covid-19, did not have any negative impact on milk production, sales, expenses and returns, however, 26,8% of the farmers interviewed reported that milk production had decreased. Farmers should improve animal feeding in the second half of 2020 and at least achieve last year's production.
The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and c... more The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and carcasses’ qualitative traits of the fattening rabbits was studied. 42 rabbits of six weeks old were grouped into three identical groups. The rabbits under the control group were fed ad libitum, while the ones under the two other groups (experimental groups) were fed through some feeding time restrictions, as the following: (7 hours/day) during the two and three first weeks of fattening respectively. Afterwards, up to the age of 18 weeks, all of them were fed ad libitum again. At the end of the trial, it was concluded that both the body weight and daily gain were statistically not influenced by the time duration of the restricted feeding. Although the second group of experiment showed a substantial daily feed intake (p ≤ 0.01), non significant effects on the feed conversion rate was demonstrated. Feed restriction time for two and three weeks didn’t show the same effect on the carcasses’ p...
The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and c... more The effect of restricted feeding through a longer time period on the performance parameters and carcasses’ qualitative traits of the fattening rabbits was studied. 42 rabbits of six weeks old were grouped into three identical groups. The rabbits under the control group were fed ad libitum , while the ones under the two other groups (experimental groups) were fed through some feeding time restrictions, as the following: (7 hours/day) during the two and three first weeks of fattening respectively. Afterwards, up to the age of 14 weeks, all of them were fed ad libitum again. At the end of the trial, it was concluded that both the body weight and daily gain were statistically not influenced by the time duration of the restricted feeding. Although the second group of experiment showed a substantial daily feed intake (p≤0.01), non significant effects on the feed conversion rate was demonstrated. Feed restriction time for two and three weeks didn’t show the same effect on the carcasses’ pa...
The comparison of education level and its effect on the performance of the dairy farms in two reg... more The comparison of education level and its effect on the performance of the dairy farms in two regions of Kosovo was the objective of this exploratory study, as it is not done up to now from any institution, in the country. The data are collected from 150 respondents randomly selected from farmers' municipality database, in two regions of Kosovo (Gjilan and Ferizaj). The data were collected through face to face interviews and personal visits based on a structured questionnaire, during the period of May-July 2014. The results show significant differences between farmers (higher level of education compare with primary education) in regard with food safety standards, animal diseases, milk yield, animal identification, farm register, and feeding of the animals according to the production level. 64.4% of the farmers of secondary+ education group knew who is the institution in charge with food safety, 72.4% knew about the institution in charge of issuing the animal health certificate, ...
This is an exploratory study, that aims at assessing farmers’ awareness of food safety standards.... more This is an exploratory study, that aims at assessing farmers’ awareness of food safety standards. We expect that most farmers have limited awareness about national food safety standards, animal diseases, and given constraints in the institutional framework, and thereby such standards are not met in most cases – this survey provides insight into gaps in awareness and information at the farm level looking into different aspects. A questionnaire-based study was conducted to assess the farmers’ general knowledge about animal diseases, as well as preventive farm practices with regard to food safety. A total of 150 dairy farmers, with more than four cows per farm, were interviewed. About 87 percent of the respondents do not possess cooling tanks; 44.7 percent of farmers stated that they do not know which is the institution in charge of food safety; 11.3 percent state that they never or rarely use the ear tags; in addition most farmers’ state that they do not know symptoms of the Brucellosis (71.3%) and TBC (68.6%), indicating the low awareness level among farmers about animal diseases and food safety.
General hygienic and disease control practices need to be integrated into the milk production process, particularly at the smallholder level. Awareness, teaching, and training programs for dairy farmers can improve disease control in
animals and reduce the public health risk of milk-borne zoonosis. Also, public and donor support schemes for farmers should be strongly linked to food safety standard implementation.
Uploads
Papers by ylli bicoku
General hygienic and disease control practices need to be integrated into the milk production process, particularly at the smallholder level. Awareness, teaching, and training programs for dairy farmers can improve disease control in
animals and reduce the public health risk of milk-borne zoonosis. Also, public and donor support schemes for farmers should be strongly linked to food safety standard implementation.
General hygienic and disease control practices need to be integrated into the milk production process, particularly at the smallholder level. Awareness, teaching, and training programs for dairy farmers can improve disease control in
animals and reduce the public health risk of milk-borne zoonosis. Also, public and donor support schemes for farmers should be strongly linked to food safety standard implementation.