Profitability assessment of Red Chittagong cattle under different farming practices in Chandanaish upazilla of Chittagong district

Abstract

The study was designed to analyze the socio-economic characteristics of dairy cow owners and the profitability of rearing Red Chittagong Cattle (RCC) dairy cows in a village named Hazirpara under Chandanaish Upazila of Chittagong District. The study also identifies the problems of the dairy owners and provides recommendations. A sample of 30 dairy owners was selected randomly to determine the profitability of RCC. Primary data were collected from the selected farms. Cost and return analysis, as well as functional analysis, were performed using Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR). The study showed that about 20% of RCC farm owners were landless, 40% were small and marginal farmers, 23.33% were medium, and 16.67% were large farmers according to their landholding sizes. The average rearing cost of RCC per cow per year was found on the basis of cash cost, non-cash cost, and full cost basis at Tk. 34,699, Tk. 12,655, and Tk. 47,354, respectively. The average gross return per year per cow of RCC was found to be Tk. 53,283.33. The average gross return per lactation per cow of RCC rearing over cash cost and full cost basis were found to be Tk. 19,698 and Tk. 7,043, respectively. The BCR on the basis of cash costs and full costs per year per cow were found to be 1.58 and 1.15, respectively, indicating that RCC farming is profitable in rural conditions in Chittagong. Major identified problems include high prices of feed, scarcity of quality feeds and fodder, low prices of milk, inadequate veterinary care and services, distance to AI centers, lack of credit, and lack of technology. Ensuring root-level veterinary services, cultivating high-yielding fodders, arranging training programs on livestock management, health care, and marketing, and ensuring the extension of easy-to-get credit facilities to the farm owners are the main recommendations for the betterment of rural RCC dairy owners.