THE PRODUCTIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCES OF DAIRY COWS IN SUNAMGONJ DISTRICT

Abstract

Bangladesh is a densely populated and agro-based developing country where most of the rural people are dependent for their livelihood mainly on cropping and livestock farming. Livestock sub-sector is playing a crucial role in the traditional subsistence farming, contributing about 6.5% of the GDP, 13% of the total foreign exchange earnings and providing employment to 20% of the population (BBS, 2004). The total cattle population of Bangladesh is 22.87 million of which 3.79 million is dairy cows yielding 1.64 million metric ton milk per year which is only 14% of the total requirement indicates the importance of the requirement for increasing the milk production in Bangladesh. Dairy cattle population in Bangladesh ranks 12 in the world and 3 th rd in Asian countries. About 92 percent of the dairy cattle is nondescriptive indigenous and only 8 percent is reported to be crossbred (BBS, 2006). The average milk yield per cow per day is 1.5 liters for indigenous and 2.5 liters for crossbreds. Dairying is nearly always part of a mixed farming system in Bangladesh (Saadullah, 2001). The majority of the rural households in Bangladesh have 2-3 dairy cows. Sometimes these cattle are used as dual purpose for milk and draft power.