Agricultural Science Digest

Economic analysis in 20 specialized cattle and buffalo dairy farms of Gujarat was comparatively studied. The required information from selected farms was collected through personal interview.

It was studied by working annual fixed and variable cost. Gross total income was obtained by sum of all the income generated in dairy farm by selling milk, dung and animals. The collected and derived data were subject to nonparametric test in SPSS software.

Total fixed cost was consisted of 19.06% of total cost and it was nonsignificant between cattle and buffalo farms. Total variable cost was higher in buffalo farms. The proportion of variable cost was major (80.94%) among total cost. Among total cost, feed and fodder cost was highest i.e. 63.69% followed by labour cost i.e. 15.72%. Buffalo farms were spending significantly higher amount toward dry fodder and labours. Average total income from sale of milk was Rs. 48.44 lakh (86.59%). Sale of ghee (9.81%), dung (2.72%) and animals (0.90%) was also having some contribution in return. The average net profit was Rs. 16.06 lakh per farm which was nonsignificant. Similarly, yearly overall net return per adult unit (AU) and per man day was 0.16 and 2.35 lakh, respectively. The net profit per liter of milk was Rs. 17.36 and 8.84 lakhs in buffalo farms and cattle farms, respectively. The overall benefit cost ratio was 1:1.35. Thus, it can be concluded that specialized dairy farm of crossbred cattle or buffaloes with herd strength 80-180 were profitable and viable enterprise in Gujarat.