The major constraint for dairy production under the cooperative system was found to be access to feed of sufficient quality and quantity. This was especially so during the monsoon period, when farmers suffer from a shortage of green grass. Disease and parasitic infestations are the second most important constraint on dairying. Suitable breeds of cow for dairying, their artificial breeding, inadequate breeding programmes and capital (money) add further constraints on dairy farming and there are no well defined breeding objectives. The Holstein and its crossbreds are reported to produce the most milk; however, farmers only keep these genotypes for 2 to 3 lactations because of decreased survivability after this time. On the other hand, the Sahiwal, Pabna and Sahiwal × Pabna crosses are more adapted and feed efficient than temperate breeds although they produce less milk per lactation, the Pabna and/or Sahiwal breed and their crosses may be more suitable for milk production under these farming conditions.
3.4.2.13 Summary
Fifty farm households that were members of the BMPCUL cooperative society in the Baghabarighat milk shed areas were surveyed in 2005. The herd size ranged from 25 to 180 animals.
The herds of the survey respondents consisted of Pabna cattle, Sahiwal, Holstein-Friesian and the crossbreds of Sahiwal Pabna and Holstein- Friesian Pabna, Holstein-Friesian Local and Jersey Pabna.
Data were collected for productive and reproductive traits. The highest daily milk yield and lactation yield were recorded for Holstein cows and Holstein crossbreds. However the Pabna and Sahiwal breeds produce a greater number of lactations, resulting in a higher lifetime milk yield from these breeds and their crosses.
The survey revealed that about 60% farmers were interested in using Sahiwal sires and 40% in using Holstein and Jersey sires.
The economic evaluation indicated that dairy farming under cooperative dairying was profitable.
3.5 Remarks
1. Bangladesh has a great shortage of milk and there is a national demand to increase milk production.
2. There is no well-developed recording system for dairy cattle genetic evaluation.
3. The major constraints for genetic improvement of dairy cattle in Bangladesh are ill-defined breeding objectives, inefficient artificial breeding programmes, small population size, and lack of infrastructure and skilled personnel.
4. In Bangladesh, research on estimating the genetic merit of available genotypes, economic evaluation of different breeds in different management schemes, and the genetic improvements programmes of dairy cattle is limited.
5. Bangladesh Milk Producers Cooperative Union Limited (BMPCUL) is a well-organised large cooperative dairy production system. Under this system, there exists the potential to organise a dairy cattle genetic improvement programme, in the future.
6. Data from the 2005 survey is used in subsequent chapters to: (a) model the lactation curves of different breeds in order to predict the total lactation yield from incomplete lactation records, (b) develop a dairy farm model and economic evaluations, (c) develop a breeding objective, and (d) develop a multitrait simulation model for total merit of dairy cattle.
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