Differential Assessment of Strategies to Increase Milk Yield in Small-Scale Dairy Farming Systems Using Multi-Agent Modelling and Simulation

Devotha G. Nyambo () and Thomas Clemen
Additional contact information
Devotha G. Nyambo: Information and Communication Science and Engineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha P.O. Box 447, Tanzania
Thomas Clemen: Department of Computer Science, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Berliner Tor 7, 20099 Hamburg, Germany

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: Multi-agent-based modelling and simulation provides an adequate environment to study the real world. This paper presents the use of a multi-agent research and simulation (MARS) framework and model design based on the overview, design concepts, design (ODD) protocol to model and simulate small-scale management strategies that are important for increased milk yield per cow. In reality, strategies for farm management at a small-scale level are purely based on heuristics that cost farmers and lead to inadequate milk yields. A differential assessment of the farming strategies was conducted to yield a data-driven approach for selection of the best strategies, which in turn will optimize investments and increase milk yield. The agent-based modelling and simulation revealed that, the studied strategies based on income, farm, and farmer-based characteristics influenced an increase of up to 7.72 L of milk above the average (12.7 ± 4.89). Generally, there was an increase in milk yield based on the identified evolvement strategies; from a baseline data average milk yield of 12.7 ± 4.89 to simulated milk yield average of 17.57 ± 0.72. Evaluating the agent-based models in real-world scenarios will strengthen the assurance that the identified strategies can move small-scale dairy farmers from low to higher milk producers.

Keywords: multi-agents; modelling; simulation; smart farming; small-scale farmers; dairy farming (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/3/590/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/3/590/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:13:y:2023:i:3:p:590-:d:1083617

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().