A heat wave is hitting dairy cows in Aichi Prefecture, where dairy farming is an important industry.
Experts say that heat stroke or loss of appetite caused by the summer heat has a gradual impact on milk production. Dairy producers say they don't have enough measures to deal with this summer's unusual heat wave and are worried that falling production will eventually affect consumers.
Holsteins, which account for 99 percent of the total milk cows in Japan, keep their body temperature as high as 38.5 as they retain fermentation heat in the body. However, their body temperatures are much higher this summer. "Scorching heat is raising the temperatures to nearly 40 degrees now. Many cows are breathing hard and drooling," said Toru Ito, a 55-year-old veterinarian who supervises farms in Toyohashi and other cities.