Characteristics of Buffalo Farming Systems in Turkey Based on a Multivariate Aggregation of Indicators: A Survey Study

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In the small–medium scale farm management systems, farmers make rational decisions by combining available inputs to optimize or maximize their production outcome. As the availability of inputs differs in each location, variability in farm typology is becoming more evident, resulting in different economic performances. We aimed to determine buffalo farms’ heterogeneity and differences in productivity and profitability in Marmara Region, Turkey. Six components were identified as the best predictors of farms’ efficiency: “Milk productivity”, “Economic efficiency”, “Roughage management”, “Dual purpose farming”, “Concentrate supply”, and “Fodder production”, each of which aggregate indexes that characterize feeding management and economics, in addition to location, investment in buildings and equipment, and grazing type. These factors’ scores allow for farms’ characterization and identifying management inefficiency areas to prompt early and effective interventions by farmers. ABSTRACT: This study aimed to determine the heterogeneity that exists in water buffalo husbandry systems in Marmara Region, Turkey. A questionnaire containing a total of 60 indicators was submitted to 52 farmers. A Principal Component Analysis was performed to reduce original variables into a simplified and latent structure, which was characterized by six orthogonal components: milk productivity, economic efficiency, roughage management, dual-purpose farming, concentrate supply, and fodder production. An ANOVA model was applied to the six components to investigate the effects of the province, investment levels, grazing type, milk production, and profitability. Differences in milk productivity, roughage management, concentrate supply, and fodder management were significant according to the province and grazing type, which indicated a difference in intensification levels among the cities. Economic efficiency and dual-purpose farming differed significantly for milk production levels as well as milk productivity, and economic efficiency differed for profitability levels. We found a tendency regarding the impact of roughage management on profitability. The results conclude that profitability was associated with improving the milking traits of buffaloes and roughage management of the farms.