CONTRIBUTION OF SMALL SCALE POULTRY FARMING IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

The study was undertaken to investigate the socioeconomic characteristics of poultry farm owners and to assess the relative profitability of broiler and layer poultry farms and to determine the contributions of key variables to the production process of the farms. In total. 80 poultry fan'tm. 40 from each of the selected broiler and layer poultry Rirms were selected randomly in Savar ljpazilla of Dhaka district. Data was collected during 10 July to 10 August 2007 with the help of Interview schedule. Coefficient of coiTciation was used in artier to analyze data in accordance with the objectives. To achieve the main objective of the study, a simple tabular analysis and the cost and return analysis were done. Cobb-Douglas production function model was also employed to estiniatc the contributions of the key variables: feed, human labour, vaccine and medicine, electricity to the production of poultry farms. The study revealed that on an average the total costs per poultry farm per year were Tk 2. 88,581.00 and 3. 24,661.00 for broiler and layer farm, respectively. The yearly gross returns from per broiler thrni were Tk 3, 54,093.00 and from per layer poultry farm were Tk. 4. 64,971.00 having net returns were Tk 65,512.00 and Tk 1, 40310.00. respectively. This implies that layer poultry farm was more profitable than broiler poultry farm. Correlation analysis shows that level of education. farm size, annual family income. Cosmopoliteness. poultry farming knowledge, training and annual expense had significant relationship with their Farm profit. However, age and family size of the poultry farmers had no signiheant relationship with their farm profit. This study also revealed that sample poultry (lirni owners Riced some important problems, such as: capital and credit constraints. high prices of feed, frequent occurrence of diseases, inadequacy of veterinary care and services, non-availability of chicks, low market price of products and pollution of environment made by chicks. If steps were taken to solve these problems, the owners of both broiler and layer poultry farms could earn much higher profits than the existing level.