Economics of local cow milk production in Punjab

Animal husbandry, particularly dairying, was a leading supporter of the agricultural sector in the state. The present study aimed to investigate the costs and returns of local cow milk production in the Punjab state of India. About 420 dairy farmers were randomly surveyed in 2019. The total cost of local cow milk production was 143.64 per day per local milch cow. The net returns, based on per day per animal, were found positive but negligible. However, the net returns per litre were calculated as – 1.04 in rural Punjab. The poor management practices adopted by the dairy farmers were responsible for negative net returns from local cow milk production. The specialized dairy training courses could develop entrepreneurship among dairy farmers in rural areas of Punjab.