CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF DAIRY CATTLE FARMS

T. Harizanova-Metodieva, V. Gaidarska, T. Ivanova

Abstract: The aim of the study was to group and analyze dairy cattle farms according to their characteristics by applying cluster analysis. It was analyzed 49 dairy cattle farms from different regions in Bulgaria. Survey data was collected by visiting the farms. The data were processed according to the methodology of Rusev, 2003. The study covered a period of 2012–2014. The following indicators were analyzed: number of cows in the main herd, average milk yield, service-period, health status, feeding, milking, cleaning, economics, and microclimate. Using cluster analysis (K-Means Clustering) the farms were grouped into 3 clusters. The first cluster consists of 8 farms, the second – 24, and third – 17. The first cluster includes small, relatively low productive farms; the second cluster comprises a relatively large farms for the conditions of our country with sufficient milk production; the third cluster includes large farms for our country with a high milk production in which technological operations are at a relatively high level.

Keywords: cluster analysis; dairy cattle farms

Date published: 2017-05-17