An Economic Analysis of Cross Breed Milk Producing Farms in Some Selected Areas of Manikgonj District

The present study was undertaken to investigate and the socio-economic characteristics and relative profitability of cross breed dairy cow rearing farmers. The focus of the present study was to quantify the costs and returns and to explore the interrelationship of factors affecting yield, cost and net return for the cross breed cows. On an average, cross breed dairy cow owners possessed 9.26 animals per household respectively. Per day total costs of rearing per cross breed cow was Tk. 238. Feed cost constituted about 46 percent for cross breed cows. Paddy cost occupied the largest share out of total feed cost in cross breed cows. The average milk yield per day per cow was 7.87 litres for cross breed dairy cow while the total return per day per cow was estimated at Tk. 376 and the net returns per day per cow was Tk. 144. The study revealed that green grass, human labor and veterinary cost have significantly positive impact on milk yield for cross breed cows. The study identified some major problems and constraints as reported by farmers which were: lack of grazing land, lack of veterinary care and services, high price and scarcity of feed and fodder, low price of milk, etc. Finally, policy implications of the study were suggested