Milk production function and resource use efficiency in Hilly district of Himachal Pradesh

The present study was undertaken in the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh state to analyze the resource use efficiency of milk production in sampled households. The sample of 60 milk-producing households was selected using a multistage random sampling technique. The data were collected from three blocks of Shimla district, namely Mashobra, Rampur, and Rohru, in the year 2020–21. Various milk production functions like linear, transcendental, exponential, and Cobb-Douglas were tried to study the resource use efficiency. Still, ultimately, Cobb-Douglas production function was found the best fit for the present study. The study’s results revealed that concentrate and green fodder were the critical determinants of milk production. It was found that for both crossbred and local cows, green fodder and concentrate were underutilized in the study area. Dairy farmers can increase the productivity of milch cattle by supplying more of these inputs in the study area.