ADOPTION OF DAIRY FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY THE FARMERS OF SITAKUNDA UPAZILA

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to determine the farmers adoption of dairy management practices and to explore the relationship of each of the selected characteristics of the dairy farmers with their adoption of dairy management practices. Data were gathered from 85 dairy farmers of nine villages of three union of Sitakunda Upazila under Chattogram district by using a pretested interview schedule. The findings revealed that about twothird

(65.8 percent) of the dairy farmers had medium adoption of dairy management practices, while 2.4 percent had low adoption and 31.8 percent had high adoption. Hence above two third (68.2 percent) of the dairy farmers had low to medium adoption of dairy management practices. Pearson’s product moment correlation revealed that dairy farm size, number of dairy cattle, annual income from dairy farm, knowledge on dairy farm management practices and training on dairy cattle management of the farmers had positive and significant relationship with their adoption of dairy farm management practices. Dairy farmers faced higher problems in ‘inadequacy of capital for purchase of milch cow’ followed by ‘high rate of interest for credit’ and ‘lack of technical facilities’. From the findings, it is concluded that it is essential to increase the adoption of dairy management practices of the farmers by providing advisory services and supports from different Government and Non-Government advisory service providing organizations.