1Agricultural Economics Section, Social Sciences Division, Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla-171 001
2Principal Scientist and Senior Scientist (Agricultural Economics), respectively, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal-132 001
Factors associated with the pricing of 153 lactating non-pregnant, 85 dry pregnant, and 45 dry non-pregnant cows transacted in the four animal markets of Nadia and Hooghly districts of West Bengal during 2001–02 have been studied. It has been found that milk yield, general appearance, and crossbred are the most significant contributory factors for price variation in lactating non-pregnant cows. In the case of dry pregnant cows order of lactation, stage of pregnancy, general appearance and crossbred have been found as the significant factors while udder and teats was the only significant factors responsible for price variation in dry non-pregnant cows. The study suggests the farmers to upgrade their native indigenous cattle by adopting crossbreeding technology for higher milk production and sell their animals in lower order of lactation and in higher order of pregnancy to fetch better market price.
