Study on The Scenario of Buffalo Farming in the Anwara Region, Chattogram

Abstract

The current study was carried out to examine to assess the socioeconomic circumstances of the buffalo farmers and the most recent management practices at farm level in Anwara region. From May to June 2023, questionnaires were used to gather information from six household farmers in Juidandi Union, Anwara Upazila which were chosen at random. Male farmers (100%) in the age range of 30 to 60 years (50%) who had only completed their primary education (17%) and belonged to a small group of farmers whose major occupation is agriculture (83%), reared buffaloes. Without any formal instruction, all farmers engaged in buffalo rearing. The majority of farmers (80%) raised female buffaloes in small herds (6). Around 83% of farmers in the Anwara upazila had traditional buffalo shelters without fencing, whereas 17% had fenced housing arrangements. The majority of the shelters offered, which were mostly used at night (100%), had a tin roof (67%), a muddy floor (83%), insufficient floor space (33%), and an ineffective drainage system (83%). The majority of farmers grazed their buffaloes on public property from dawn until dusk and provided them with locally harvested natural roughages at night, although they rarely fed concentrates. No farmers adopted any feeding technology, utilized growth promoters or vitamin-mineral supplements, or fed buffaloes a balanced diet. Buffaloes typically showed heat during the winter, and artificial insemination was a more frequent technique. Almost all farmers regularly practiced deworming and vaccinations. The most prevalent issue, along with others that demand attention, is the storage of food. Overall findings showed that farmers had not implemented scientific management techniques to fully utilize the potential of buffaloes, and as a result, management practices were not sufficient. This needed to be remedied by inspiring farmers and offering extension services.