A study of welfare issue of commercial dairy farms owners and employees in Chittagong

Abstract

Commercial dairy farming is becoming popular in Bangladesh to fill up the demand of milk and generation of employment opportunity. The aim of the present study was to study the socioeconomic status of the farm owners and employees of commercial dairy farm in Chittagong. A cross sectional study was carried out for a period of 10 months in urban (Chittagong City Area), peri-urban (Sikolbaha) and rural areas (Potiya, Anwara, Banskhali and Mirsharai) through a limited test questionnaire survey followed by final survey with a structured questionnaire. A total of 332 dairy farms were surveyed to observe economic status of employees and socioeconomic status of owners. Monthly salary of dairy farm employees was recorded between BDT (Bangladeshi taka) 2000 and 8000. Of the recorded, 97% dairy farm owner had provided residence to their employees free of cost and 6% employees suffered from back or joint pain. Among the studied farms, 31% owners had secondary level of education, 58% owners had tin shed building, 91% farm owners were Muslim and 80% owners were male and owned 2.29 acres of land/farm on an average. The highest number of farmers (45%) has only 1 earning person and 58.49% farm owners had tin shed building. The average income from livestock farming was almost TK. 689,059. The present study revealed that educated farmers are being involved with the commercial dairy farming creates self employment facilities along with generation of employment opportunities for others.