CONSTRAINTS OF DAIRY FARMING IN COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHERN GUJARAT

Abstract

A field survey was conducted during the years 2010-2012 in Jalalpore taluka of Navsari district to identify  various constraints perceived by dairy animal owners in dairy husbandry practices and data were collected  from randomly selected 150 dairy animal owners through personal interview with the help of pre-tested  structured schedule. The study revealed that constraints related to adoption of feeding practices ranked  first (58.33%) followed by constraints in adoption of health care practices (52.45%), milking practices  (50.99%), housing practices (49.6%) and breeding practices (43.05%). High construction cost (66%), lack  of own capital (74.67%), high cost of feed (76%), non-availability of green fodder round the year (62%),  lack of awareness about treatment of poor quality straw to improve its nutritive value (74.67%), lack of  knowledge about silage preparation (76%), lack of knowledge of balanced ration (46.67%), repeat breeding  problems in dairy animals (75.33%), low conception rate through A.I. (58.67%), non-remunerative price  for milk (80%), high production cost of milk (68%), lack of knowledge in clean milk production (65.33%),  high cost of veterinary medicine (70%), problem of mastitis in dairy animals (77.33%) and inadequate  knowledge of diseases and their control (68.67%) were major constraints in adoption of improved dairy  husbandry practices.