J. Dairying, Foods & H.S., 28 (3/4) : 176-180, 2009 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION CENTRE www.arccjournals.com / indianjournals.com ADOPTION OF CATTLE REARING PRACTICES BY DAIRY CATTLE OWNERS IN LATUR DISTRICT. J.V. Mande and B.M. Thombre Department of Extension Education, College of Agriculture, Latur-413 412, India. ABSTRACT The present investigation was undertaken to study the adoption of cattle rearing practices by dairy cattle owners. The sample of 60 respondents was selected for present study. 53.33 per cent of the respondents were between 36 and 50 years with 36.67 per cent had primary school education and 63.33 per cent of the respondents were having nuclear type of family. 28.33 per cent of the respondents were semi medium farmers (2.01 to 4.0 hectares land) and 78.33 per cent of the respondents depend on agriculture. It was noticed from the study that 45.00 per cent of the respondents were having annual income ranging from Rs. 36,001 to 60,000/-. Regarding breed wise livestock population is concerned that 55.00 per cent respondents possessed Deoni breed followed by Red Khandari (43.33 %), non descriptive cattle (33.33 %) and Marathwadi buffalo (10.00 %). It was observed from study that, maximum score was obtained for adoption of cattle breeds of the region (90) followed by rearing of improved cattle breeds (65), adoption of types of cattle breeding (64), appropriate age of cow for breeding (53) and selection of bull for breeding (45) as adoption of breeding practices by the dairy cattle owners. It was also observed that the category wise adoption index was presented in which feeding practices for cow possessed more adoption index (57.36) followed by feeding practices for newly born calf (54.83), breeding practices (52.83) and health care practices (40.20). The overall adoption index was 52.17. Key words : Adoption, Cattle rearing. INTRODUCTION Maharashtra State ranks fifth in milk production per annum. The present production of milk in Maharashtra State is around 6.024 million tonnes per year, while the per capita availability is 171 grams per day. The milk production is increasing at a faster rate in the state. This increase is the result of extensive cross-breeding and grading up programmes undertaken in dairy animals. Animal husbandry plays a very important part in agriculture in Maharashtra. Cattle rearing for milk and milk products, leather and flesh are important occupations for most of the people living in the state. Since animal husbandry is included in the state list, the responsibility of taking care of the cattle is of the staate. The Department of Animal Husbandry has taken the responsibility of advising the people about taking care and treatment of the sick cattle. Apart from that there are cattle breeding farms in the ditricts and the talukas under the districts. Considering the important role of livestock in the economy of the nation, the preservation and improvement of the germplasm of dairy cattle have been taken-up by the government as livestock development activity. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to study the adoption of cattle rearing practices by dairy cattle owners with following specific objectives. 1. To know the socio-personal and economic characteristics of dairy cattle owners. 2. To study the extent of adoption of cattle rearing practices by the dairy cattle owners. 3. To identify the problems of dairy cattle owners in rearing the cattle.
MATERIAL AND METHODS Two talukas namely Renapur and Udgir were selected from Latur district of Marathwada region. From each taluka three villages namely Patharwadi, Saigaon and Vhatti from Renapur and Dawangaon, Lohara and Sekhapur from Udgir were selected. Ten dairy cattle owners were randomly selected from each of the village. Thus a sample of 60 respondents was selected for present study. The data were collected personally with the help of structured schedule in which 20 practices related to adoption of dairy cattle were filled up. Two score were given to full adoption, one score given to partial adoption and zero score were given to nil adoption. Thus total score for each practice were calculated. Accordingly the category wise adoption index were calculated and finally overall adoption index was drawn. Adoption index was drawn on the basis of obtained score divided by maximum possible score and multiplied by hundred. The problems in adoption of cattle rearing practices by dairy cattle owner were observed for the study. The data were analysed with the help of frequency, percentage and rank orders. Table 1. Distribution of the respondents according to their socio-personal characteristics Sr. Characteristics Number Percent No. A) Age 1. Young (up to 35 years) 09 15.00 2. Middle (36 to 50 years) 32 53.33 3. Old (above 50 years) 19 31.67 B) Education 1. Illiterate 08 13.33 2. Primary schools 22 36.67 3. Secondary schools 13 21.67 4. High schools 10 16.67 5. Collegiate 07 11.66 C) Family members 1. Small family (up to 5) 19 31.67 2. Medium family (6-10) 29 48.33 3. Big family (more than 10) 12 20.00 D) Family type 1. Nuclear family 38 63.33 2. Joint family 22 36.67 Vol. 28, No. 3/4, 2009 177 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 1. Socio-personal charcteristics of the cattle owners : It is observed from Table1 that 53.33 per cent of the respondents were between 36 and 50 years of age. While 36.67 per cent had primary school education. As far as family members were concerned 48.33 per cent, had medium family (6 to 10 members) with 63.33 per cent of the respondents were having nuclear type of family. 2. Economic characteristics of the cattle owners : It was noted from Table 2, that 28.33 per cent of the respondents were semi medium farmers Table 2. Distribution of the respondents according to their economic characteristics Sr. Characteristics Number Percent No. A) Land Holding 1. Marginal (up to 1 hectare) 05 8.33 2. Small (1.01 to 2 hectares) 11 18.33 3. Semi medium 17 28.33 (2.01 to 4 hectares) 4. Medium (4.01 to 10 hectares) 15 25.00 5. Big (above 10 hectares) 12 20.00 B) Occupation 1. Agriculture + Labour 04 6.67 2. Agriculture 47 78.33 3. Agriculture + Business 09 15.00 C) Annual Income 1. Low income 15 25.00 (up to Rs. 36,000/-) 2. Medium income 27 45.00 (Rs. 36001/- to 60000/-) 3. High income 18 30.00 (above Rs. 60000/-) D) Size of herd 1. Small (up to 4) 30 50.00 2. Medium (5 to 10) 19 31.67 3. Big (above 10) 11 18.33 E) Breed wise livestock population 1. Deoni 33 55.00 2. Red Khandari 26 43.33 3. Cross breed 09 15.00 4. Non descriptive 20 33.33 5. Marathwadi buffalo 06 10.00 6. Non descriptive buffalo 11 18.00
178 J. DAIRYING, FOODS & H.S. (2.01 to 4.0 hectares land). As far as occupation is concerned, it was observed that about 78.33 per cent of the respondents depend on agriculture. It was noticed from the same table that 45.00 per cent of the respondents were having annual income ranging from Rs. 36,001 to 60,000/-. As far as heard size 50.00 per cent of the respondents possess small heard size (up to 4 cattle). Regarding breed wise livestock population was concerned that 55.00 per cent respondents possessed Deoni breed followed by Red Khandari (43.33%), non descriptive cattle (33.33%) and Marathwadi buffalo (10.00%). Findings are matching with Shreeshailja and Veerbhadra (1993). 3. Information sources used by the cattle owners : It was noticed from Table 3, that television possessed higher score (103) followed by progressive farmer (83), cattle chows (76), publications (56), Radio (43) and Live stock development officer (36) as the use of sources of information by dairy cattle owners. 4. Adoption of breeding practices by cattle owners : It was observed from Table 4 that, adoption of cattle breeds of the region (90) followed by rearing of improved cattle breeds (65), adoption of types of cattle breeding methods (64), appropriate age of cow for breeding (53) and selection of bull for breeding (45) were the major breeding practices adopted by the dairy cattle owners. These results are similar to that of Shinde (2002). 5. Adoption of feeding practices for cow by cattle owners : The adoption of feeding practices for cow was calculated and is presented in Table 5. The results revealed that care of cow after parturition Table 3. Use of sources of information by dairy cattle owners. Source of information Use Total score Rank order Always Sometime Never T.V. 43 17 00 103 I Radio 05 26 29 36 VI Publications 09 38 14 56 IV Cattle shows 31 14 15 76 III Progressive farmer 32 19 09 83 II L.D.O. 11 21 28 43 V Gramsevak 03 24 33 30 VII Table 4. Adoption of breeding practices for dairy cattle. Breeding practice Adoption Total score Rank order Rearing of improved cattle breed 29 27 13 65 II Adoption of cattle breeds of the region 31 28 01 90 I Appropriate age of cow for breeding 09 35 16 53 IV Types of cattle breeding adopted 04 56 00 64 III Selection of bull for breeding 12 21 27 45 V Table 5. Adoption of feeding practices for cow. Feeding practice Adoption Total score Rank order Adoption of improved practices during pregnancy 29 26 05 84 II Care of cow after parturition 35 25 00 95 I Quantity of green fodder daily given to cow 09 41 10 59 IV Quantity of dry fodder daily given to cow 17 33 12 67 III Balanced diet given to cow 09 38 13 56 V Nutritious feed daily given to cow 06 40 14 52 VI
Vol. 28, No. 3/4, 2009 179 Table 6. Adoption of feeding practices for newly born calf. Feeding practice Adoption Total score Rank order Feeding of colestrum to newly born calf 37 23 00 97 I Time of colestrum feeding after birth of calf 08 29 23 45 IV Quantity of colestrum feeding 15 45 00 75 II Colestrum feeding up to 5 days 13 47 00 73 III Feeding of fodder to calf 04 31 25 39 V Table 7. Adoption of health care practices by dairy cattle owners. Health care practice Adoption Total score Rank order Naval cord treatment 11 23 28 45 III Adoption for prevention from parasites 14 34 12 62 I Disease management in cattle 03 31 26 37 IV Prevention of different cattle diseases 15 19 26 49 II possess higher score (95) followed by adoption of improved practices during pregnancy (84), quantity of dry fodder daily given to cow (63), quantity of green fodder daily given to cow (63), balanced diet given to cow (56) and nutritious feed daily given to cow (52). 6. Adoption of feeding practices for newly born calf by cattle owners : It was observed from Table 6 that higher score (97) possessed by the practice i.e. feeding of colestrum to newly born calf followed by quantity of colestrum feeding (75), colestrum feeding to calf after 5 days (73), time of colestrum feeding after birth of calf (45), feeding of fodder to calf (39) in order of total score. 7. Adoption of healthcare practices dairy cattle owners : Data related to health care practices adopted by the dairy cattle owners are presented in Table 7. This data showed that adoption of practices for prevention from parasites posses higher score (62) followed by prevention of different cattle diseases (49), Naval cord treatment (45) and disease management in cattle (37). 8. Adoption of management practices dairy cattle owners : Category wise adoption index was presented in Table 8. It is evident from Table that feeding practices for cow possessed more adoption index. Table 8. Category wise adoption of management practices. Management Maximum Obtained Adoption practice possible score index score Breeding practices 600 317 52.83 Feeding practices 720 413 57.36 for cow Feeding practices 600 329 54.83 for newly born calf Health care practices 480 193 40.20 Overall Adoption 2400 1252 52.17 9. Problems of the cattle owners in rearing dairy cattle : It was observed from Table 9 that high prices of concentrates (85.00%), inadequate and untimely loan availability from the bank (68.33%), low rate of milk in the market (65.00%), lack of green fodder (61.67%), unavailability of veterinary services in the village (48.33%), defunctioning of milk co-operative societies (43.33%), lack of scientific knowledge about rearing of dairy cattle (38.33%), costly veterinary services (30.00%) were some of the problems expressed by the respondents in adoption of dairy cattle rearing practices. Findings are similar to Patil, U. N. (2003). CONCLUSIONS 1. Majority of respondents were middle aged, have a primary school education, nuclear
180 J. DAIRYING, FOODS & H.S. Table 9. Problems of the cattle owners in rearing dairy cattle. Problem No. Per cent Rank High prices of concentrate 51 85.00 I Lack of green fodder 37 61.67 IV Defunctioning of milk co-operative societies 26 43.33 VI Low market price of milk 39 65.00 III Inadequate and untimely loan supply from the bank 41 68.33 II Non availability veterinary services in the village 23 38.33 VII Costly Veterinary services 21 35.00 VIII Lack of Scientific knowledge about rearing of dairy cattle 29 48.33 V Inadequacy of labour 16 26.67 X Non-availability of government schemes for dairy cattle 19 31.67 IX type of family with medium family size, medium land holders and having agriculture as main occupation. 2. Majority of cattle owners having Deoni breed and followed adoption of cattle breeds of the region as a breeding practice. 3. Feeding practices for cow possessed maximum adoption index followed by feeding practicesl for newly born calf. 4. High prices of concentrate, inadequate and untimely loan supply from bank and low market price to milk were the top three problems expressed by the respondents. REFERENCES Patil, U.N. (2003). M.Sc. (Agri.) Thesis, Marathwada Agricultural University Parbhani. Shinde, G.B. (2002). M.Sc. (Agri.) Thesis, Marathwada Agricultural University Parbhani. Shreeshailja, K.T. and Veerbhadra, V. (1993). Dairy Guide, 15(10-12):28.