The socio-economic scenario of farmers and the profitability assessment of different poultry production systems in Hathazari, Bangladesh.

Abstract

This study investigated the socio-economic profile of poultry farmers, farm management practices, and the economic profitability of broiler, layer, and sonali chicken production systems in Hathazari, Bangladesh. A total of 30 farms (10 each of broiler, layer, and sonali) were surveyed using a pre-structured questionnaire. Duncan's multiple range test and the chi-square test were done for data analysis. The analysis revealed that poultry farming was dominated by relatively affluent individuals (80% self-funded) who were primarily over 40 years old (73.3%). Farm size and vaccination status varied significantly (p< 0.05) between production systems. Farms with robust biosecurity practices (60%) reported lower post-vaccination disease incidence (33.3%). Recognizing potential nutritional imbalances, most farmers (83.3%) preferred pre-formulated feed. Economic analysis revealed that layer farming offered the highest profitability, with an average annual cost per bird of 1280 BDT, net return of 909 BDT, and a cost-benefit ratio of 1:1.71. Broiler production yielded a cost per bird of 1376 BDT, net return of 617.2 BDT, and a cost-benefit ratio of 1:1.44. Sonali chicken farming resulted in the lowest profitability, with a cost per bird of 1019 BDT, net return of 79 BDT, and a cost-benefit ratio of 1:1.07. These findings suggest that layer farming offers significantly greater profitability compared to broiler and sonali chicken production in Hathazari, Bangladesh.