ASSESSMENT OF STATUS AND PROFITABILITY OF SMALLHOLDER DAIRY FARM IN TANGAIL

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess the status and profitability of the smallholder dairy farming. Seven dairy farms were surveyed in Ghatail Upazilla, Tangail, Bangladesh. The studied dairy herd consists of 05 to 15 cows. Both indigenous and crossbred cows were reared in those farms. Average milk production of the indigenous cows was 1 to 2.5 liters per day, whereas crossbred cows produced an average of 7 to 10 liters milk per day. The range of net annual income per cow was BDT 110000 to BDT 500000. The variations in net annual income of cows were mainly due to breed variety, management practices and other operational cost. The study revealed that crossbred with proper management and lower operational cost leads to increased profitability of the farm.