Population monitoring for milk composition,
metabolic status, and economic revenues from
milk sales of local dual-purpose cattle breeds
in Mountain Area

In the history of cattle farming in mountain areas such as the Alps there has been a selection and use of breeds based on functionality and adaptability to local conditions. However, modern livestock production, driven by demand rather than local constraints, also in mountain areas, has led to a transition from traditional multipurpose breeds to specialized breeds in resource intensive farming systems. This is also due to the way in which the milk-related support schemes under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) have been established. To counter this trend and preserve genetic biodiversity the various national breeding associations of Italian dual-purpose cattle breeds have launched the DUAL BREEDING project aimed at describing and valorising local breeds for promoting their breeding and preserving biodiversity. The aim of the present study was to characterize the milk composition and technological properties to quantify the economic profitability of different local dual-purpose cattle breeds, taking into consideration the pricing scenario of the alpine province of South Tyrol as a case of study. Secondly, milk data were used to analyse the occurrence of ketosis/acidosis within breeds. Results reveal the deficiencies of local breeds in terms of milk composition parameters (fat, protein) which are mostly recognized in the milk-payment systems of dairy cooperatives compared to specialized dairy breeds. Therefore, additional support in form of subsidies to promote their continued use on small-scale mountain farms should be continued, as they provide various non-material functions, such as several ecosystem services (e.g., landscape conservation, cultural heritage) and consent a site-oriented and thus a circular production chain due to their good adaptability to local conditions. In addition, the phenotypic specificity of the narrow fat-protein ratio for some local breeds biases the assessment of metabolic status through milk data. Consequently, to use Fat-Protein-​Ratio (FPR) as an indicator of health status, appropriate FPR thresholds and/or machine learning methods should be applied to determine the cut-offs for dual-purpose breeds that may indicate health problems.