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The objective of this paper was to describe the context and the main characteristics of Argentine dairy production and to analyze the challenges that dairy farmers and the industry are facing. The present work is supported by data from national dairy farm surveys, official statistics, international organizations, and scientific literature. On average, Argentine dairy farms are stocked with ~160 cows, reaching 1.4 cows/ha, with Holstein cows producing about 5,900 L/cow per year. Dairies are mostly pasture based, with cows grazing all year round in predominantly nonirrigated land. A favorable milk-to-concentrate price ratio (over 1.5) provides farmers an opportunity to incorporate large amounts of supplements in the diet. Milk production in Argentina has remained stable over the last 20 yr. The main issues preventing an increase in milk production are (1) the number of cows has decreased 12% during the last 20 yr and (2) on-farm infrastructure is outdated and requires significant investments to improve animal performance and working conditions. Fertile soils, abundant water availability, year-round grazing, and relatively inexpensive concentrate feeds are unexploited strengths of the Argentine dairy industry. The country can double its productivity; however, several constraints must be overcome to achieve its potential. Data and discussion presented in this work would be useful to define strategies to improve the Argentine dairy industry.
Lazzarini et al. (Thu,) studied this question.