Table 1.
Maine organic dairy producer differences in willingness to pay for an enteric methane-reducing seaweed supplement1,2.
| Variable | Willing | Unwilling | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of farms in survey | 12 | 23 | – |
| Cows per herd | 60 | 46 | 0.23 |
| Milk yield, kg/cow/d | 20.5 | 21.9 | −0.07 |
| Milk fat, % | 4.29 | 4.38 | −0.02 |
| Milk true protein, % | 3.27 | 3.71 | −0.13 |
| Milk somatic cell count, ×103 cells/mL | 125.1 | 121.4 | 0.03 |
| Milk shipped, kg/year | 435,800 | 548,771 | −0.26 |
| Contract price, USD/cwt of milk3 | 32.6 | 29.3 | 0.10* |
| Pasture in the diet, % | 61.1 | 70.6 | −0.16** |
| Grain cost, USD/ton | 660.9 | 691.4 | −0.05 |
Willingness to pay measured as response to survey question “How much of an increase in your daily feed costs would you be willing to pay for a seaweed supplement that also reduced methane emissions?” Those producers who indicated they would be willing to pay any positive amount are included in the mean for those willing to pay. The producers who indicated they would not be willing to pay anything for the supplement are in the mean for those unwilling to pay.
Difference measured as the average of those willing to pay minus the average of those unwilling to pay and reported in percentage terms. **difference is significant with 5% confidence, *difference is significant with 10% confidence.
Cwt = milk price received per hundredweight (cwt = 45.36 kg).