Constraints Faced by the Dairy Farmers in Rajouri District of J&K While Adopting Livestock Management Practices

A study was conducted on data from 120 farmers in six villages of Rajouri district of J&K to identify the constraints in livestock farming. Data were collected by a semi-structured questionnaire, interviews with key informants as well as focus group discussions. Information collected included: house-hold demographics, production practices, identification of constraints to production and possible solutions and management practices. Data were analyzed and descriptive statistics were generated. The results revealed that the major constraints faced by dairy farmers were low availability of green fodder (81.66%), low productivity (74.16%), non-availability of adequate veterinary staff and services (68.33%) and non-remunerative price for milk and milk products (68.83%). Considering these constraints, it was suggested that appropriate strategy should be formulated by Krishi Vigyan Kendra with the help of District veterinary department or other agencies engaged in dairy development for transfer of technology relevant to scientific dairy farming practices in the area.