Smallholder Dairy Farming Management in Netrakona District of Bangladesh

Abstract

This study examined the management of dairy cattle systems at the smallholder village level in the Mohangonj Upazilla of Netrakona district of Bangladesh between April 2023 and July 2023. There are total 16 dairy farms in Mohangonj Upazilla. Six dairy farms were surveyed for individual and farm data, using preset questionnaire responses and close monitoring of the farming system. The majority of the cows in the study were 51 crossbred cows (Holstein-Friesian, Sahiwal) and 16 indigenous/ local cows. The average lactation periods were 271.67 and 155.83 days and the average milk productions per cows per day were 8.75 and 2.00 liters in crossbreed and indigenous cows of studied farms respectively. It was found that the milk yield and other expenditure were higher in the crossbred cows than the indigenous cows. However, the profitability of the indigenous cow was lower than the crossbreed cows. The study identified a number of challenges faced by farmers in the dairy cattle rearing sector, including inadequate veterinary care, inadequate feed and fodder provision, inadequate training, and the inability to fix the price of milk at a reasonable level.