Dairy Extension Specialist Talks About Heat Stress in Georgia Dairy Industry

Nov 19, 2025

Sha Tao, dairy Extension specialist, spoke with Farm Monitor about UGA’s efforts to keep cows cool and comfortable amid rising heat.

“Actually, within the Southeast, Georgia is the only state where the dairy industry is growing,” Tao said. “Right now, we have about 74 dairy farms, but it’s about 85,000 milking cows. And you can see the dairy industry in Georgia is growing. We expect to see more cows in Georgia and more milk produced in Georgia.”

But temperatures in the warmer months can cause heat stress, which leads to cows producing less milk and being at higher risk for disease.

“So, heat stress is a critical issue in the dairy industry, especially in the Southeast,” Tao explained. “Without cooling, heat stress can reduce cow’s milk production by about 15% to 40%. And during the summertime, cows normally have increased disease, such as mastitis, and also have reduced reproductive performance. Everything can lead to a very significant economic loss to the dairy producers.”

Tao and his team are exploring multiple ways to keep cows cool.

Source : uga.edu

Video: Food Inflation and Pork Demand - Dr. Sylvain Charlebois

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Professor and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, discusses how food inflation is reshaping Canadian protein demand. He explains why pork remains competitively priced, consumer behavior, and why transparency, AI-assisted shopping, and protein demand will matter in the years ahead. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The potential of pork is there. We just need to see the product assume that role and take it away because all the elements are there."

Meet the guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in Dalhousie University's Faculty of Management and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab. His research focuses on food distribution, food policy, food safety, food security, and traceability. Dr. Charlebois has written four books and more than 500 peer-reviewed and scientific articles. He holds a BComm from the Royal Military College, an MBA from UQAM, and a DBA from the University of Sherbrooke. Learn more from Dr. Sylvain Charlebois on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.