Development of valuation index for dairy cattle and buffalo in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The present study was carried out to develop valuation index for dairy cattle and buffalo in Tamil Nadu. The data were collected through personal interview using pre-tested interview schedule from 525 dairy cattle and buffalo owners from 7 districts in Tamil Nadu, viz. Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Namakkal, Salem, Tirunelveli, Madurai and Thiruchirapalli covering 4 agro-climatic zones of Tamil Nadu. A multiple linear regression equation was fitted for arriving at the valuation index for various breeds of dairy cattle and buffaloes. The overall dairy cow valuation index was also fitted and it explained 57.70% of variations through the included variables. The factors like activeness, triple wedge, pregnancy and milk yield were found to be highly significant and each unit of the above variables had influenced the value of animals to the tune of ₹2,431.81, ₹2,728.59, ₹1,114.07 and ₹719.54, respectively. The factors like milk yield and pregnancy were found to be significant and had influenced the value of buffaloes to the tune of ₹1,746.81 and ₹4,188.62, respectively. On the other hand, the factor on calving interval had significant negative influence on the buffalo value to the tune of ` 575.22 per year. As a whole, many variables like activeness, whirls, triple wedge, pregnancy and milk yield were highly significant and each unit of the above variables had influenced the value of dairy animals to the tune of ₹ 2,543.45, ₹2,462.60, ₹2,414.79, ₹1,706.37 and ₹1,044.27, respectively. In addition, 2 variables namely breed and species were included to fit the overall cattle and buffalo valuation index and the results implied that these variables were significant at 1% level and they had the influence of ₹2,178.00 and ₹3,462.99, respectively on the cattle and buffalo value.