Dairy buffalo production system under semi-intensive management in the coastal area of Bangladesh

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the present status of production system of dairy buffalo under semi-intensive management in coastal area of Bangladesh. The data were collected during farm visit and recorded in prepared questionnaire and check list. The findings of the study revealed that very minimum housing facilities were provided to the buffaloes. Both the grazing and confinement time were found similar (around 6 hrs in a day) and they spent almost 3 hrs in a day for wallowing. The majority of the lactating buffaloes were not being adequately fed. Farmers usually supplied local grass (4.98±2.89 kg DM/day) and rice straw (10.90 ±2.85 kg DM/day) with one or two concentrate feed separately as supplement (1.51±0.80 kg DM/day). The daily average DCP and TDN supply were 0.365 and 6.417 kg/d respectively which were undersupplied as compared to standard requirement. The productive and reproductive performance of indigenous dairy buffalo was not similar to high producing dairy buffaloes. The average lactation yields (litre/lactation) were found as 469.52±163.71. The EC value (2.73±3.53) of milk indicated as healthy milk production. Milk consumption pattern (8%) was not satisfactory. Milk market was volatile. Natural breeding (95.7%) was more prominent practice than artificial insemination (AI) (4.3%). The most of the buffalo cows showed heat from early night to early morning (22.2-54.2%). Technology adaptation for buffalo rearing was very much poor. Technology adaptation index for the use of concentrate feed, artificial insemination, de-worming and vitamin-mineral premix were 16.34, 13.46, 23.07 and 6.25 respectively. It therefore be concluded that technological transformation could be boost up to national milk production by developing of the management practise of dairy buffalo under semiintensive system in Bangladesh.
 SAARC J. Agri., 16(2): 43-59 (2018)

Buffalo Milk Yield, Quality, and Marketing in Different Agro-Climatic Districts of Bangladesh

“…Amongst the ACDs, the length of lactation varied from 188-197 days. The lactation length in dairy buffaloes is speckled from 279-282 days which was within the range of our findings (189-294) [9]. In addition, it was found that 286 days of lactation period in a similar type of buffaloes under extensive production system in Mathbaria and Pirozpur which was 290 days in Pathorghata and Barguna districts of Bangladesh [10].…”

“…However, even more lower price (BDT 41/L) was found in semi-arid area indicating a poor marketing system there. The cost-benefit ratio was 1.31 [27], indicating that buffalo rearing was profitable in Bangladesh [9,28]. A total of 25% of the cow milk consumed by the household [29] but in our study, home consumption of buffalo milk was varied from 8-21% of total milk yield.…”

“…Economic returns from dairy buffaloes depend on its lifetime performance [8]. But the productive performance of buffaloes could not reach it' potential due to inadequate knowledge on husbandry practices, high feed cost and low milk price as those are regarded as first, second and third-ranked problems in Bangladesh with respect to buffalo milk production [9].…”

Existing buffalo husbandry practices at household farming level in selected coastal regions of Bangladesh

“…Most of the farmers (91.25%) reared female buffaloes mainly for calf and milk purposes and they usually sell their male buffalo calves at post weaning or at early stage (2-2.5 yrs). The result of the present study are in coincide with the observation of Rahman et al (2018) who reported that the average herd size was 1.80±0.12 in Bhola district under semi-intensive management system. Karim et al (2013) found that the herd size varied from 3-4 buffaloes in coastal areas of Pirojpur and Borguna district.…”

“…A better understanding of existing buffalo husbandry practices of coastal regions is necessary to identify the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) of the rearing systems and to formulate appropriate intervention policies. In Bangladesh, buffalo production system varies widely based on climate, soil, management practices and feeding systems (Saadullah, 2012;Rahman et al, 2018). Buffaloes are managed in household subsistence farming in the villages as well as extensive free range (bathan) farming in saline coastal region (Huque and Borghese, 2013).…”