Abstract:
The success of Dairy farming, as a livelihood, depends on milk production and
marketing. This study was carried out in Horawapoththana and Kahadagasdigiliya DS
divisions with the objectives of studying the management system, to evaluate the milk
marketing system and to analyze income generation of cattle rearing livelihood project
beneficiaries. Totally 70 selected cattle rearing farmers were included in the study. Data were
collected through a questionnaire survey, farm observation, and group discussions. Data
were analyzed using MS Excel and presented in table and chart forms. The results revealed
that 100% of the farmers reared cattle for milk purpose under a semi-intensive system with
grazing and stall feeding.Results depicted that majority (88.6%) of the beneficiaries reared
cattle as a primary source of income with more than two years of experience. More than half
of the (68.6%) farmers cultivated CO3 as a fodder grass which was used to feed in the night.
The variation in the milk production from cattle among beneficiaries was large due to the
variation in the management practices. Majority of the cattle farmers sold their milk to
middleman and Milco for a guaranteed price. To conclude, though the implementation of
cattle farming livelihood project benefited the farmers by increasing their income level, there is
a potential to further improve the income level by improving the management practices.
