Preliminary Survey on the Dairy Cattle Production System and Conventional Feed Resources in the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar

Abstract

This survey was carried out to evaluate the dairy cattle production system, conventional feed resources and their nutritive values in Central Dry Zone (CDZ), Tatar U and Amarapura Townships, in Myanmar. The secondary data and questionnaires were accessed from 180 farmers of 180 households in the study area and made Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with them. According to the findings of this survey, most of farmers were relying on the agriculture for their livelihood and livestock farming played as the secondary role. As the gender issue, the role of female was vital for the development of dairy production sector indicating that female were the resource person in small-scale dairy production system. Generally, one household possessed 4 cattle including milking cows, heifers and calves. As breeding, natural breeding was still important for small-scale dairy farmers and the calving intervals were between12 and 18months. The average 11.5 kg of milk per cow were recorded from the study area. Among the conventional feed resources, butter bean residue, natural grass and sesame residue were used as the roughages sources in diet when rice straw was not available. These feedstuffs were valuable potential to be used in the ration of dairy cow.