MILK PRODUCTIVITY AND ADOPTION OF SCIENTIFIC DAIRY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN THE SMALL DAIRY HOLDINGS OF VYTHIRI TALUK OF WAYANAD
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Date
2013-06-27
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Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Wayanad
Abstract
Despite the changes in the dairy sector, milk production of cross-bred cows in the state
remains far from satisfactory. Thus the milk productivity, adoption of scientific management
practices and interrelationships between various determinants of milk productivity and adoption
of management practices were explored among the small dairy holdings to have a detailed
understanding of the situation. Here small dairy holding meant farms with one or two milch
animals. Personal interviews and focus group discussions were applied for data collection. Most
of the farmers studied belonged to old age category, with secondary education and more than ten
years of experience in dairying. Most sought after extension agency was co-operative societies
and television was the most used mass medium. Majority of the respondents had only low
innovation proneness and medium economic motivation while majority had a high scientific
orientation. Overall adoption of scientific dairy management practices was low for majority of
the respondents. Experience in dairy farming, land holding, income from dairying, economic
motivation, scientific orientation, innovation proneness and information source utilization were
positively and significantly correlated with extent of adoption of management practices. Income
from dairying, experience and scientific orientation were significant in explaining the variation
in the extent of adoption of scientific dairy management practices. Milk productivity of majority
of small dairy holdings studied was medium. Land holding and income from dairying were
positively and significantly correlated with the milk productivity. Income from dairying was
significant in explaining the variation in milk productivity. High cost of feed and scarcity of
green fodder were perceived to be the most serious constraints in dairying. High capital
investment required for dairying, low price for milk, unavailability of credit, and non-availability
of good milch animals were the other constraints.
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