BUFFALO AND CATTLE

PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
 PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
W.J. Payne has proposed following classification of
production systems

•Based on Raising System

(extensive, semi intensive & intensive)

•Based on economic objectives

(subsistence, semi subsistence, semi
commercial & commercial).
 Raising Systems
Extensive System:
• It is further divided into following categories.

Subsistence or semi subsistence

• It can be best described under following two
heading.
i) Pastoralism:
ii) Crop agriculture with extensive cattle
production
 i) Pastoralism
• No settled agriculture and sedentary
cultivation rather lead a life of nomadism
• Pastoralists are essentially opportunists
• Prevalent in desert areas of Punjab, Sindh
and Baluchistan.
• They breed and manage camels, donkey,
sheep, goat & cattle (indigenous breeds
for livestock)
 Pastoralism
Management and Health:
• In normal conditions, wet & dry ranges
are grazed for feeding
• Animals are grazed in tight groups
moving quickly over ranges (browsing
as well as grazing)
• Milk production is a function of season
rather than lactation
• Young calves fed milk at the time of
milking in morning and evening.
• Men only, women and children or women
only depending on the customs of the
society may conduct milking
• Production costs are lower in the pastoral
system but production per man-day is far
higher in the ranching systems
• Diseases and parasitic infestation is the
most prevalent along with the mineral &
protein deficiency
 ii) Crop agriculture with
extensive cattle production:
• This system is between pastoral
nomadism and settled agriculture
• Termed as agro-pastoral
• Occurs where land resources are
limited, population is increasing
rapidly and there is a possibility of
growing cash crops
 Cont.
• Observed in almost all part of the country
where the above-mentioned conditions
are present
• Cattle & buffalo used in this system is
normally indigenous one but the may be
no exception for crossbred cattle
Management and Health:
• Normal conditions, animals kept in
native
• When there is scarcity of feed
• the livestock is shifted to the other
areas of grazing
• Milk production is a function of season
rather than lactation
• Diseases and parasitic infestation is the
most prevalent along with the mineral
& protein deficiency
• iii) Commercial ranching:
• No commercial ranching system
although in Pakistan
• A wide scope exists as almost 70% of
arid & semi-arid land of the country
is consisted of ranges
 Semi Intensive System
I) Sedentary crop agriculture with
livestock production:
• Most important livestock production
system
• Includes more than the half population of
livestock reared in the country
• Cattle owned by landless people also
included
• Characterized by small size of holdings, a
mixture of subsistence, semi subsistence
and cash economies
• Keeping of cattle for work
• milk production,
• use of old animals for meat and
• Use of agriculture wastes and
industrial by-products as feed source.
• In general the cattle used in this system
are indigenous in origin but crossbred
animals are also kept to have high milk
yield
 Management and Health
• Feeding is often haphazard and
management poor
• Farmers don’t cultivate sufficient area
• Cattle are grazed, and fed tethered with
industrial by products and available fodder
• Farmers are responsive to the advice and
have potential for improvement
• Health services are relatively more
available and occasionally farmers get
benefit from them
• Milk surplus to that of family needs is
sold
• The major problem of the farmers is
the size of land holdings
• One thing, which farmers need to be
realized, is that milk is the best cash
crop
 Intensive Systems
I) Modern Sector Cattle production:
• Modern sector cattle production has two
components
• Dairying and beef production
• The former has been developing in
Pakistan but yet is on its infancy stage
while there is no activity related to later
• There are small numbers of large scale
private or government owned dairy farms
• In this system, cattle are kept on very
good concentrate feeds
• Provided with veterinary cover and
modern techniques of A.I. although most
of the farmers keep their own bull.
• Animals of high production potential are
maintained
PRODUCTION SYSTEMS OF MILK IN
PAKISTAN
• There are some nomadic sheep, goats and
camels
• Some peri-urban milk units
• Rest of all existing ruminant production
is closely integrated with crop production
• Traditionally, the raising of livestock has
been based on free grazing
• Livestock keeping families are
accustomed to devoting a lot of family
labor to this activity
• As production becomes commercialized
and home produced or purchased feeds
take the place of grazing, families tend to
retain their customary approach to labor
without thought to the returns involved
 A. CATTLE
• Traditionally, cattle are kept, primarily to
provide draft power for crop production with
milk as a by-product
• Some cattle are kept in peri-urban milk units
along with buffalo
• New progressive class of cattle farmer
developing commercial production with
improved crossbred type cattle
• this category represents an insignificant part of
the national herd and milk supply
• It could provide the model for long-term
development of milk production in the country
a. Irrigated areas:
• About 55% of the indigenous cattle population
is kept by 2.5 million small mixed crop–
livestock production units in the irrigated areas
• 60% are in the Punjab, 20% in Sind and 14%
in NWFP
• Traditionally, male cattle have been kept
primarily to provide farm traction
• With the introduction of tractors, the
importance of work animals is declining, milk
and meat production are becoming relatively
more
• Most cattle are of non-descript type
• Cattle herd includes about 40% adult
females and 20–25% adult males
• Feed is derived from grazing
• 25% of total feed comes from straws,
60% from fodder crops and <10% from
purchased concentrates
 Rain fed (barani) areas
Cattle are raised primarily for draft use
• Keeping of buffalo is less common
• Herds average size of about five heads
• 30% of the typical herd is adult females
and 40% is adult males
• Following the onset of the rains and the
harvest of crops, waste areas and pasture
provides 40–50% of total annual feed
• Straws provide the remainder of the feed

c. Progressive farmers, crossbred cattle:

• A few progressive farmers are developing
commercial milk production units
• These farms devoted entirely to milk
production
 B. BUFFALO
• About 5.4 million households keep
buffalo for milk production
• Small-scale rural units <6 head account
for 4.8 million
• Peri-urban units 0.6 million of these
households
• There are few rural commercial
production units
 Peri-urban milk production
This centuries-old system has grown in
recent times
• Production growth has been aided by
development of motorized road transport
and an effective input supply network
• The system embraces production unit
types ranging from large exclusively
commercial i.e. Landhi Cattle Colony
near Karachi, to small village merchants
• Commercial scale around the main cities
have herds ranging from 10–200 head
(average 50)
• Adult females, 90% are buffalo and 95%
of these are actually in production
• Turnover of animals is high
• Selected third or fourth lactation females
are purchased
• Calves remain with their mothers for only
4-7 days
• In the absence of the calf, the high
level of feeding encourages the cow
to letdown her milk
• Lactation period lasts for 250–300
days
• Dry animal is sold for slaughter
(about 50% of cases) or is returned to
the rural areas
• Replacement cows are purchased
according to need for milk
• Few entire breeding males are kept and
pregnancy depresses milk yield, many
cows are not mated during lactation
• Of those returned to the rural areas, no
more than 50% are in calf
• With the growth of AI, subsequently
salvaged from slaughter is however
increasing slowly
• Commercial units employ family and
hired labor
• The system depends on:
i. Investment in or hire of buildings
ii. Simple equipment
iii. Delivery of milk to market twice daily
after milking
iv. Payment for veterinary medicines,
electricity and water municipal charges,
and milk transport
v. Some income is earned from the sale
of farmyard manure
• Small peri-urban units exist in the
major centers
• Distances traveled to obtain
replacement cows and feeds are
shorter than for commercial units
• Production costs and milk prices are
generally lower with the result that
production techniques are less intensive
• Calves are suckled while cows are in milk
• Cows are mated if bulls or AI services are
available
• When dry, most cows are returned to the
rural supply areas
• Male calves are sold for slaughter
• Female calves are sold or sent to the rural
areas for growing-out as replacement
• Milk is used primarily to satisfy family needs
• Surplus, if any, is delivered to households or
shops
Smallholder rural milk production:
• Almost 80% of total milk supply is derived
from about 5.4 million mixed crop–livestock
units mostly in irrigated areas
• Buffalo primarily for milk production
and cattle for draft with milk as a by-
product
• Production units are small, about 75%
in herds of no more than 6 head
• Rural milk production is a subsistence
activity
• 56% of all milk produced is consumed
on the farm
• Access to milk markets, however,
influences consumption patterns and
production methods
(a)Market oriented (b) Family subsistence
• Further subcategories,
1.Land owning,
2.Share cropping
3.Farm laboring (which influence the
management techniques employed)
b. Smallholder market milk production:
• Smallholders owning buffalo and cattle in
rural areas
• Typical family production unit consists of
5 buffalo, which include 3 adult females,
1-2 female followers

• With a calving interval of 2 years,

normally half the adult females are in
production at any time
• Smallholders, owning of land, devote 10–
20% of their crop area to forage crops
• Landless families must purchase fodder
as well as straws
• A significant part of the feed supply is
provided by hand weeding from rabi and
kharif cereal crops
Smallholder, subsistence milk production
Smallholders in rural areas produce enough
milk for family at minimal cost
• Not prepared to spend cash on inputs
• They are prepared to allocate non-cash
resources of land and labor to its
production
• 70% of smallholder milk producers fall
into this category
• Unit consists of about 3 buffaloes,
• Grazing provides 50–60% of total feed
requirements at zero cost
• Straws (bhusa) provide about 25%
• Green feed crops provide 10–15%
• Concentrates provide <5% that is used
exclusively for cows in milk.
• The system is traditional and makes
heavy demands on family labor
Rural commercial units:
• The emergence commercial category of
dairy farm is a recent phenomenon
• Very important as a future vehicle
• Number of producers is < 1000
• Typical unit (90% buffalo and 10%
cattle) 40 buffalo of which 60% are adult
females & about 60% producing milk
• Production units: Part of a larger mixed
crop–livestock farm or a specialized farm
• Fodder crops 50% of total feed; straws,
about 35% and the remainder is
purchased concentrates
• In locations with rivers, rain or
waterlogged areas, grazing is used as a
substitute of the straw and green feed
components for dry animals