Cuddling cows
OPINION: Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its cows and instead charge visitors to cuddle them.
Heat stress is leading to reduced appetitie, lower weight gain and decreased fertility in cattle. Rising temperatures could reduce milk output by up to 25% in India's hotter areas by 2085, according to recent research published in the Lancet.
Solutions to ward off heat stress include specially designed sheds with fans and sprinklers to keep cattle cool, but that comes at a high cost and only big, intensive dairy farms can afford such infrastructure.
So many farmers are giving their cows hourly showers to keep them cool.
