Influence of Mastitis and Repeat Breeding Incidence on Participation in the Animal Insurance Program for Dairy Farmers in Ba Vi, Hanoi, Vietnam

The livestock insurance program for dairy farmers in Vietnam targeting various acute diseases began in 2011 as a pilot project; however, due to vaccination campaigns, outbreaks of such diseases are rare. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of mastitis and reproductive failure-which chronically affect the farming economy-on the decision to participate in the insurance program. A survey involving a questionnaire and milk sampling from apparently healthy animals was conducted on the 38 participating and 59 non-participating dairy farms in the livestock insurance program in Ba Vi, Hanoi, Vietnam, in August 2014. Microbiological tests were performed to detect sub-clinical mastitis, whereas the questionnaire was administered to collect information regarding farm management and the occurrence of clinical mastitis and reproductive failure over the previous three months. There were no significant differences in the proportion of farms having cows with clinical mastitis (insured: 8/38 farms, 21.1% vs. non-insured: 13/58 farms, NA = 1, 22.8%, p = 1) and repeat breeders (insured: 16/36 farms, NA = 2, 44.4% vs. non-insured: 20/57 farms, NA = 2, 35.1%, p = 0.49) over the previous three months. The proportion of farms having cows with sub-clinical mastitis at the time of the survey was also not significantly different between insured (5/38 farms, 13.2%) and noninsured (7/59 farms, 11.91%) farms (p = 1). Based on the obtained results, neither endemic disease nor farm management is respectably involved in the decision of farms to participate in the animal insurance program targeting acute animal infectious diseases.