26/08/2019
Full Scholarship Faculty of Agriculture
Dear Students,
As part of our continuous efforts to broaden the horizon of our students and to assist you provide further and better information on our departments, we would like to introduce our Faculty of Agriculture to you.
Cyprus International University’s Faculty of Agriculture is by far the best in the sub-region. With a modernized and technologically advanced farm where theories are practicalized and research carried out, it sure remains the study destination of tomorrow’s generation of Nations’ feeders. With sustainability as the core aim, the farm is by far the largest self-sufficient agricultural project in the Mediterranean. Right from feed production and processing, milk extraction and processing, animal waste/droppings management, through to reproduction and nurturing and biogas plant, the main principle of sustainable farming- meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations is met.
Feed Production and Processing
CIU has over 30 hectares of land for large scale cultivation and animal farming. On a large scale, we produce various agricultural products ranging from various food crops to cash crops for supply and consumption. For the sustainability of the farm, CIU again has 5 hectares of land for the production of hay/grass, pasture and forage production to feed its livestock. We know that better grassland management can increase livestock produce, carbon storage and protect water and bio-diversity. We again have an ultra-modern nursery. This sustainable practice ensures efficient water use and lower pollution levels on the farm.
Milk Extraction and Processing
We also have a spacious well-structured cattle farm with about 2000 cattle mostly for diary purposes. We maintain a low stress environment which involves providing access to shelter from extreme weather, health, humane handling and nourishment. To ensure total feed operation and optimum productivity, our cattle have been grouped according to the production level and stage of lactation to be able to attend to needs of the livestock and accordingly budget expectation. CIU has an effective and efficient Automated Milking System for the extraction of milk from the cattle on the farm. This system is able to generate thousands of tons of milk per day for raw supply and processing. Continuous research coupled with the technologically advanced structure we have set up, have resulted in our cows producing twice as much milk than the average production. With this, we have maintained fewer cows to get more milk, consequently reducing methane gas and the general threat that dairy farming has on sustainability.
Animal Reproduction and Nurturing
To consistently achieve a high level of cow reproductive efficiency, CIU sustains a high proportion of cows becoming pregnant early in the optimum conception period. Also we conduct pregnancy testing to remove non-pregnant cows or cows that conceive late, and ensure high cow and calf survival through to weaning, during which time pregnancies for the next calf crop are established. Cyprus International University employs various technical strategies in maintaining and improving the reproduction and nurturing of livestock. Such as:
Cattle control (to improve management capacity)
Disease control (proper veterinary measures)
Artificial insemination
Pasture management: appropriate pasture utilization (feed available)
Weaning management (to remove stress of lactation)
Mating management (to reduce dry season lactations)
Strategic supplementation (to correct nutritional deficiencies).
Animal Wastes/Droppings Management
The droppings from the cattle is used as organize manure to fertilize the land again for crop production. We know that appropriate manure management can reduce both air and water pollution. CIU has an all-round effective manure handling and storage systems which helps to efficiently utilize all the components in our manure management system. Our manure management system includes the following components:
Area where manure is produced (feedlot, freestall barn, confinement building).
Manure treatment area (solids separator, digester, and aerator).
Manure storage facility (manure tank, holding pond, Stackhouse).
Manure utilization area (crop fields).
To secure efficient manure management, CIU is installing an ultra-modern Biogas plant to transform the droppings/dung (anaerobic bacteria digestion) which produces methane into a renewable natural gas. We have a mechanized system of routing all the waste from the poultry and cattle farm to the biogas plant station with no to the environment. The plant will serve as a great source of practical and research facility both for students from our Agric Technology and Energy Systems Engineering departments. Management of the facility will be largely constituted of experts and lecturers in the related field with high expertise and knowledge. This we’re doing to realize the full sustainability potential of our University.
We hope to achieve a maximum utility for our facilities and continue to be open for partial scholarships into this faculty based on merit.
We wish you a fruitful marketing and enrolment season.
Kind Regards,
Admissions Team
International Office
Cyprus International University
