DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF VECHUR CATTLE FARMING SYSTEM IN KERALA
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Date
2019
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College of Veterinary and animal Science,Mannuthy
Abstract
An ex post facto research was conducted among the Vechur cattle farmers in
Kerala state to assess the adoption behaviour, attitude towards conservation of
native cattle, constraints and the economics of the Vechur cattle farming system.
By employing chain referral sampling technique, a total of 60 Vechur cattle farmers
from three districts of the state were selected as respondents for the study. Three
districts namely Kottayam, Palakkad and Thrissur were selected. The data were
collected through personal interview method using a structured pretested interview
schedule. The result of the study inferred that majority (68.9 per cent) of the Vechur
cattle farmers were middle aged group and had secondary school education. More
than one-third of the Vechur cattle farmers had services as primary occupation,
most of them opted agriculture and cattle rearing as secondary occupation. The local
veterinarian was the most preferred extension contact point of the farmers. Vechur
cattle farmers had a medium level of favorableness towards conservation of native
cattle. Regarding the overall adoption of recommended scientific farming practices
it was observed that nearly one-third of the Vechur cattle farmers were high
adopters while the rest fell in the medium to low categories. Poor availability of
green fodder round the year, non-availability of artificial insemination service in
time, poor quality of available Vechur semen, lack of proper marketing channels
for Vechur milk and milk products, low availability of good quality pure Vechur
animals and lack of government support to encourage Vechur cattle farming were
the important constraint faced by the farmers. Economic analysis of the Vechur
cattle farming system revealed that both, the farmers with more as well as a few
Vechur cattle animal, were engaged in diversification activities value addition of
Vechur cattle products and it also revealed that direct marketing and value addition
of products increased the profitability of the farm.