A critical analysis on buffalo farming in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Animal husbandry sector plays a crucial role in the Indian economy by supplementing family income, strengthening household nutritional security and generating gainful employment. India possesses huge wealth of bovine population (303 million) which is the main source of milk production. The milk production mainly depends on the productive and reproductive performance of cattle and buffaloes. India is the highest buffalo milk producer in the world with over 20 breeds contributing 12 per cent of the world milk production and nearly 49 per cent of India s milk production. newlineThe stay and exit intentions of buffalo farmers revealed that family labour, optimum milk marketing facilities to co-operatives and semi-intensive system of rearing with mixed feeding and also grazing of buffaloes for 4 to 6 hours per day predominantly in fallow lands played a major role to stay where as factors like high range of veterinary expenses on health care maintenance of buffaloes, contributed to exit. Factors like lactation milk yield, buffaloes possessed and sale of milk by the farmers were the most important contributors or discriminating factors in influencing their decision to stay or to exit buffalo farming. newlineAmong the overall constraints experienced in buffalo farming, institutional constraints was ranked first followed by marketing, managemental, socio-economic and climatic constraints based on the overall mean score. In case of managemental constraints, breeding constraint was ranked first followed by feeding, other management, diesease and housing management constraints.In conclusion, the study provided a comprehensive understanding on the profile characteristics of buffalo farmers, production performances of buffaloes and dairy cattle, factors influencing stay and exit intentions from buffalo farming and various constraints in buffalo farming experienced by the farmers of different agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu. newline newlineKey words: Buffaloes, production, productivity, stay, exit and constraints. newline newline