Production and Feeding Patterns of Cattle in Manipur- Findings from Small Farmers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the production and feeding patterns of cattle among the small farmers in the Thoubal district of Manipur. The findings revealed that, on average crossbred and local cow dairy farms maintained 1.60 and 1.25 milch animals, respectively. The investment percentage was found to be highest on milch animals followed by cattle shed and equipment for both the category of farm households which were ` 80756.82 for crossbred and ` 21506.75 for local cow, and the overall investment was ` 102263.57. On average milking crossbred cow was fed with 11.33 kg/day of dry fodder, 17.06 kg/day of green fodder, and 3.23 kg/day of concentrates, and for the local cow, it was 5.82 kg/day of dry fodder, 7.25 kg/day of green fodder, and 1.75 kg/day of concentrates, respectively. The average yield per crossbred cow was 9.50 liters/day, and that of the local cow was 1.60 liters/day. It can be concluded that training facilities by veterinary and extension workers on scientific knowledge and management techniques to the farmers for cattle farming should be encouraged. Improvements in cattle feeding patterns through green fodder cultivation are also encouraged, as farmers rely primarily on open grazing to feed their cattle’s. The government should also increase the availability of marketing and credit facilities, as the study area falls short in these areas.