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Essay / Management Support System Essay - 701
“Feed costs accounted for the largest share of the milk production cost, accounting for 65 to 75 percent of the operating cost and 33 to 50 percent cent of the total economic cost” (McBride, 2009, p. 39). Effective management and optimization of the feeding process is essential as it not only affects profitability but also impacts better pasture utilization and efficient use of supplements. Therefore, beyond established agricultural feeding methods, there is a need for decision support tools to help farmers make strategic feeding decisions. Through the “Diet Check” system, farmers can take proactive steps to increase the nutrient percentage of supplements to fully meet the energy needs of cows. It is a very useful decision-making system to improve farm productivity, especially in irrigated and flooded regions that have a low percentage of nutrients in pastures.Model &