A Comparative Economc Analysis of Local Breed and Cross Breed Milk Cow in a Seleced Area of Bangladesh

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to investigate and compare the socio-economic characteristics and relative profitability of local breed and cross breed dairy cow rearing farmers. The focus of the present study was to quantify the costs and returns and to explore the interrelationship of factors affecting yield, cost and net return for the local and cross breed cows and also compare these with each other. On an average, local and cross breed dairy cow owners possessed 4.93 and 4.76 animals per household respectively. Per day total costs of rearing per local and cross breed cow were Tk.32.85 and Tk.71.23 respectively. Feed cost constituted about 58 percent of total cost for local breed cows while it was 62 percent for cross breed cows. Paddy cost occupied the largest share out of total feed cost in local breed cows. The average milk yield per day per cow was 1.89 litres and 7.68 litres for local breed and cross breed dairy cows respectively while the total return per day per cow was estimated at Tk.58.27 and Tk.224.76 for the same and the net returns per day per cow were Tk.25.42 and Tk.153.53. The study revealed that green grass, concentrate feed, labour cost and capital cost have significantly positive impact on milk yield for cross breed cows but all the inputs other than labour cost and capital cost have positive impact on milk yield for local breed cows. It was further observed that the resources were not efficiently used by both local breed and cross breed farms. It may be concluded that both local and cross breed dairy cow owners had a scope to reallocate their resources. However, it was found from the study that profitability of cross breed cows was higher than that of the local breed cows. The study identified some major problems and constraints as reported by farmers which were: lack of grazing land, lack of veterinary care and services, high price and scarcity of feed and fodder, low price of milk, etc. Finally, policy implications of the study were suggested. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v8i1-2.14616 J. Sci. Foundation, 8(1&2): 23-29, June-December 2010