Impact of environmental factors on trend of milk production: a study based in Batticaloa district, Sri Lanka

Abstract

In rural area milk production is playing vital role to maintain the part food security in terms of the nutrition. Nowadays, all the countries are taking the policy making to maintain the agricultural base production for small medium entrepreneur activities to engage the fresh milk for healthy life. The milk contain all the nutrients, which are easily absorbed and assimilated by the body. The milk universally consumes production. Even though the environmental factors involve the milk yield production and management practice of the farmers. Mostly The smallholder farmers’ livestock are a living bank that serves as a financial source for period of economic distress. Motivate the small scale dairy farmers invest in this filed to profitable enterprise with commercial dairy farming. The secondary data collected from Divisional veterinary regional office in Batticaloa. Furthermore, special interview with veterinary hospital doctors and livestock farmers were arranged to identify the major problems of decreasing the milk production and death of livestock during this period between beginning of 2018 and up to now. Regarding the discussion with above people who suggested that sudden dropped in milk production around 40% compared with past years and increase in death of cattle and buffalo due to several reasons and also stated, the drought is not that much reduce the milk production because this study found the inverse relationship with rainfall and above 28oC temperature but the major reason was lack of awareness on livestock management practices. Therefore, the present study was aimed to determine the correlation between environmental conditions such as atmospheric temperature and rainfall on milk production, influence of management factors on cattle and buffalos in Batticaloa District in Sri Lanka by using descriptive analysis. This paper recommended that, farmers should be considered the proper management practices to decrease the death of animals while increase the production based on environmental conditions. The policy makers should consider provide more awareness programs related to current issues among famers in this study area.