Socio-Economic Status and Relational Analysis among the Factors of Cattle Farming at Jhenaidah District in Bangladesh

Abstract

The study investigated the socio-economic status and relationships among factors of cattle farming in four villages spanning two upazilas of the Jhenaidah district in Bangladesh. Data were collected from 60 cattle farmers engaged in cattle farming. For this purpose, a set of questionnaires was administered, covering the socio-economic features of the farmers, the costs and income from cattle, and the relational variables associated with cattle production. The results revealed that the average family size, percentage of males and females, and age were all significant. The average monthly income and expenditure were estimated at 17,558 and 21,175 thousand BDT, respectively. Most farmers were smallholders, with an average of only 81.91 decimal land for cultivation. Furthermore, the study found that male respondents predominantly participated in decision-making processes, accounting for 87.76% of decisions. The coefficient of yearly family income, age of the respondents, yearly family labor used in cattle farms, land used in primary food production, and family education level suggest that a one-unit increase might contribute to a 0.144, 1.953, 0.412, 0.903 unit increase in income from cattle production in the study area, respectively. However, the coefficients of the number of family members, respondents' traditional experience, land used in agriculture, and herd size of the farm indicate a negative relationship with income from cattle farming. This implies that a one-unit increase resulted in a 1.894, 1.442, 0.017, and 2.092 unit decrease in income, with all other variables held constant. Currently, there is a crying need to address the issues that cattle farmers face, and for that, the authority should propose several initiatives to attain sustainability and functionality.