Economics of Dairy Farming in Bidar District of Karnataka

The investigation was conducted to review the situation of dairying in Bidar using a pretested interview schedule by personal interview for sample size of 180 dairy farmers in Bidar district of Karnataka (India) with the objectives to extent of input use, cost incurred and returns obtained and employment pattern of dairying. Among all feeds used by women dairy farmers, green fodder was major but in case of men dairy farmers, it was contrary to women dairy farmers where in major share of animal feed was found to be dry fodder (16.25 Kg/dairy farm/day). Similarly there was marginal difference in labour usedfor maintenance of animals in bothwomen and men dairy farmer's that is to say feeding and watering activities formed major labour use in maintenance of animals in both women (38.4 man days) and men (38.6 man days) dairy farmers. It is worth nothing that milk production in women dairy farmers (2589 liters) found to be higher than men dairy farmers (2058 liters). There was meagre difference between total cost used by women and men dairy farmers i.e., 15.5 per cent change of women over men farmers. The returns obtained from milk production in women dairy farm was (Rs. 67314) considerably more in comparison returns under men management (Rs. 53508). Among different activities of dairy farming under women management, highest women employed in processing and marketing of milk (24.6 man days/year) and highest men employed in feeding and watering activities (18.7 man days/year). Similarly in case of men dairy farmers, highest women employed in processing and marketing of milk (24.8 man days/year) and highest men employed in feeding and watering activities (21.1 man days/year).