The structural rationalization of the agricultural sector in Sweden has led to many expansive, professional companies orientated towards growth. The agricultural sector is a very capital-intense sector and is characterized by the need for large sums of capital in form of buildings, inventory and arable land. The capital need is especially large for companies who have an ambition of growth and development of the company in the near future. The study is built upon six cases that all can be categorized as large agricultural farms with a turnover exceeding 20 million Swedish crowns. The companies are located in the middle and in the south of Sweden and are in the sector of primary production with focus on dairy-, pork-, egg-, chicken-, beef-, vegetables- and grain production as well as in the business of refining milk towards consumers. The study aims to identify the motives and driving forces that lies behind the growth of a farm-based company. The agricultural companies' motive for growth is studied based on which factors that influence the ambition to grow and to what extent these factors accord to the picture given by earlier research of small companies outside the agricultural sector.

Att uppfylla Sveriges lag om betesgång under sommarhalvåret är inte helt lätt för alla mjölkbönder. Särskilt i de större besättningarna krävs noggrann planering inför betessäsongen, exempelvis gällande drivgångar, kotrafik och tillhandahållande av betesareal. Inte alla gårdar släpper ut sina kor, och inte alla lantbrukare tycker att kor i lösdriftsbesättningar behöver komma ut på bete. Nio av tio svenska konsumenter anser dock att kor under sommarmånaderna ska ha rätt till bete. I denna litteraturstudie undersöks betets påverkan på mjölkkor, betets fördelar samt nackdelar och hur de påverkar djurens hälsa och produktion. Tjänar bönderna då på att släppa ut sina mjölkkor på bete eller kan de lika gärna fortsätta ha kvar dem inomhus även under sommarhalvåret? Självklart finns det risker med att släppa ut korna ? risken för stångningsskador, andra traumatiska skador och övriga olyckor ökar under betesperioden.

Mykotoxiner är sekundära metaboliter från mögelsvampar som ger toxiska effekter hos djur och människa. Mögelsvampar kan infektera spannmål både på fält och under lagring och kan då producera mykotoxiner vilket innebär att dessa toxiner kan förekomma i fodret till kor. Syftet med den här litteraturstudien är att utreda riskerna med några av de vanligaste mykotoxinerna i spannmål när dessa förekommer i foder till mjölkkor. Fokus har lagts på aflatoxiner, deoxynivalenol (DON) och zearalenon. Litteraturstudien tar upp deras metabolism, hälsopåverkan samt om de förs över i mjölken och även kan utgöra en risk för oss som konsumenter. Trots att idisslare har högre tolerans mot mykotoxiner än enkelmagade djur så kan även mjölkkors hälsa påverkas.

The community Vessigebro, in Falkenberg and its surrounding areas housing one percent of all dairy cattle and two percent of all pigs in Sweden. This means that there is a large amount of manure as a basis for producing biogas in the area. A number of farmers have therefore formed a cooperative named Vessigebro biogas and started the project Green Vessigebro, with the goal of creating the conditions for a more profitable and more sustainable agriculture production.The study deals with the conditions and sale opportunities of the feasibility study Green Vessigebro. The study has looked at the work that was previously carried out for the biogas that could be produced on the farms in Vessigebro, The main pipeline for natural gas on the Swedish west coast and its operators, the Swedish Competition Act , Electricity Act , Natural Gas Act, the District Heating Act , Sustainability Act , previously proposed measures, municipality interest in biogas from Vessigebro , possible collaborations, possible sale opportunities and perform calculations with data from the municipality Ljungby for a suggested transportation of biogas between Vessigebro and Ljungby.The study shows that there are several interesting sale opportunities for biogas from Vessigebro. The production and use of biogas in Sweden is increasing and the trend seems set to continue.

Chile and Santiago are struggling with heavy environmental problems as a consequence of urbanisation and industrialisation. In the Santiago region the air is seriously contaminated and most of the rivers are classified as heavily polluted.The aim of this thesis is to survey the industrial fluid waste situation in the Santiago region and to make suggestions on technological improvements or process changes. The purpose is also to study five different enterprises more closely and to give more detailed suggestions for improvement. Another purpose is to summarize relevant Chilean legislation.Information, provided by the supervisory authority, about the release of industrial wastewater to rivers has been analysed. Deep interviews have been made with authorities and consultants.

Ekonomibyggnader är en förutsättning för lantbruksproduktionen och underhåll bör således vara en central angelägenhet i ett lantbruksföretag. I perioder med sämre ekonomi, då företa-gare måste se över sina kostnader, är det möjligt att underhåll och investeringar får stå till-baka. Om underhållet på mjölkgårdens stallbyggnader och byggnadsinventarier negligeras kan det leda till att omfattande reparationer eller nyinvesteringar krävs för att kunna fortsätta produktionen. Sådana åtgärder är vanligtvis dyrare än förebyggande underhåll samtidigt som en förutsättning för att vara rationell som mjölkproducent är att hålla kostnaderna nere. Ge-nom att hålla kostnaderna nere idag och skjuta på underhållet kan de framtida kostnaderna öka vilket mjölkföretag eventuellt inte klarar av med marginalerna i mjölkbranschen. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vad som påverkar mjölkföretagarens beslut att un-derhålla ladugård och ladugårdsinventarier samt öka förståelsen för den ekonomiska betydel-sen som underhåll medför i ett mjölkföretag.

Farmers Cooperative has in recent years developed from national markets to cross-border, international, collaborations. One example is the merger between the Swedish dairy company Arla and Danish MD Foods, where the companies collectively are sought to reduce transaction costs and thus improve efficiency. The Swedish market for commodities (fertilizers and pesticides) in agriculture has for many years been dominated by a few large players, with little opportunity for grain associations and local grain companies to offer their customers a varied range of commodities with a competitive pricing.To change this state, a majority of Swedish and Danish grain associations and local grain companies have established a trans-national cooperation. Through the establishment of the organization DLA Agro, they offer their customers a good variety of products with competitive prices. This study investigates thus according to the theory of cooperative models to what extent and how the DLA Agro helps to create benefits for the Swedish member companies.

Sweden signed, in 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and has thus assumed responsibility for the indigenous biodiversity. That also means that Sweden has a conservation responsibility for the Swedish Friesian (SLB) (SJV, 2007a). In a survey conducted by the Board of Agriculture (SJV) in 1996, it appeared that there were around 780 cows and heifers of the SLB breed (SJV, 1997). SJV did in 2006 a plan for the development of livestock genet-ic resources and the number of cows of SLB was estimated at approximately 200. This meant that the SLB was in need of being conserved and SJV assumed it would be categorized as threatened.The primary objective of conservation of a breed is to reduce the loss of the original genetic variation (Lacy et al., 1995).

Sweden signed, in 1992, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and has thus assumed responsibility for the indigenous biodiversity. That also means that Sweden has a conservation responsibility for the Swedish Friesian (SLB) (SJV, 2007a). In a survey conducted by the Board of Agriculture (SJV) in 1996, it appeared that there were around 780 cows and heifers of the SLB breed (SJV, 1997). SJV did in 2006 a plan for the development of livestock genet-ic resources and the number of cows of SLB was estimated at approximately 200. This meant that the SLB was in need of being conserved and SJV assumed it would be categorized as threatened.The primary objective of conservation of a breed is to reduce the loss of the original genetic variation (Lacy et al., 1995).

This study investigates the role of yeast in green crop and its impact on the aerobic stability of silage. Fresh crop was collected from 15 farms in southern and middle parts of Sweden during the summer 2014; samples from the primary harvest was collected from eight farms and samples from the first regrowth harvest was collected from seven farms. The grass was ensiled in 1.7 l glass silos. After three months of ensiling, silos were opened and silages were stored aerobically for 10 days. Samples from both harvests were ensiled in completely airtight silos, but samples from the second harvest were also ensiled in slightly ventilated silos. Chemical analyses and yeast counts were performed for fresh crop and silage.

The purpose of this candidate thesis is to obtain an overall picture of how many prohibitions against owning or taking care of animals that were announced in Sweden in the years 2006-2008 and on what basis these judicial decisions were taken. What is the situation for the person behind the judicial decisions? Is there a so-called risk category where preventive actions to solve the problem can be taken at an earlier stage?The first Swedish animal welfare legislation came into force in 1944. Previously there was a law of 1857 that only prohibited the maltreatment of farm animals. In 1988 the existing animal welfare law was revised into an in principle new law (1988:534).As early as in the Royal Majesty?s government bill (1944:43) to the 1944 animal welfare legislation, there was a proposal that issued prohibition for those having been convicted of aggravated cruelty to animals.

Den svenska mjölkproduktionen har de senaste 30-35 åren ändrat struktur. Idag blir gårdarna färre och större, med fler djur och flera anställda. Den veterinära rollen kommer att behöva utvecklas sida vid sida med mjölkföretagen och omformas, från den brandsläckare som används vid akuta sjukdomstillstånd, till en proaktiv besättningskonsult. Syftet med den här studien var att kartlägga några faktorer som kan tänkas påverka inriktningen och omfattningen av den svenska veterinärens arbete med mjölkkor på besättningsnivå. Studien utgjordes av en intervjuundersökning där 23 veterinärer med verksamhet i mjölkkobesättningar medverkade. Samtalen spelades in och bearbetades med fokus på att beskriva faktorer som påverkade inriktning och omfattning av veterinärernas arbete på mjölkkor, vad den enskilde veterinären definierade som förebyggande arbete samt vad som skulle kunna öka det förebyggande arbetet.

To produce milk of good standard the feed for the animals kept for milk production is an important part in the work of quality. This makes it important to feed them with good forage, especially when feeding with silage. The process of making silage is very complex and requires a careful handling to be successful. The fundamental idea is to create an anaerobic environment in the herbage to favour the desirable micro-organisms, in this case the lactic acid bacteria. This environment is created by careful handlings were the importance is to pack the crop well and cover it as soon as possible to exclude oxygen.

After parturition the energy demand for milk production is greater then the energy provided from the diet. The cow mobilises therefore body tissues to compensate for the energy loss. Live weight and body condition scores decreases as a consequence of the mobilisation. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between body condition score, live weight and subcutaneous fat depth measured by ultrasound and the changes during the lactation. Possible differences between Swedish Holstein (SLB) and Swedish Red and White Cattle (SRB) were also investigated.

Urbaniseringen i Kampala växer snabbare än den ekonomiska tillväxten, vilket skapar en stor grupp människor med så svag köpkraft att de inte kan köpa mat för dagen. En lösning på problemet är att odla sin egen mat, men med de begränsade landarealer som en växande befolkning leder till, finns det inte tillräckligt med mark att odla eller bedriva extensiv boskapsproduktion. Bönderna tvingas därför att utfodra djuren med de biprodukter som genereras från hushållet och från den lokala marknaden. Uganda är en av världens främsta bananproducenter, där den större delen av produktionen går till landets egna humankonsumtion, vilken i sin tur genererar enorma kvantiteter bananskal varje år. Bananskalen säljs på de lokala marknaderna och utgör en billig foderkälla till framförallt idisslare för Ugandas bönder.