In this study, the status of water buffalo breeding in each geographical region in Turkey was examined, and the activities of enterprises were analysed from technical and economic perspectives. Four regions and the cities in these regions where buffalo breeding was concentrated in Turkey were chosen by Purposive Sampling Method, considering the number of water buffaloes, milk production and their share in the buffalo population and buffalo milk production in Turkey. A total of 462 sample enterprises were chosen from these cities by Stratified Random Sampling Method. The research data were collected through the questionnaires administered in face-to-face interviews with the producers. The data collected reflect the buffalo production in Turkey in 2014. The study examined socio-economic structures of the enterprises, revealing their capital structures and annual economic activities. The Marmara region ranked first in the time spent in buffalo breeding (26.62 years). Gross profit income was positive in four regions. Absolute profit and relative profit indicators were negative for farms in the Black Sea region and favourable for farms in other regions. For the development and promotion of buffalo breeding, the breeders should be further educated about better breeding practices, small enterprises should be modernized and expand their operations, efforts for the betterment of breeding practices should be intensified, existing wetlands should be protected and enhanced, the production costs (feed cost etc.) should be reduced, state subsidies should be granted to real producers, the public should be educated about the high nutritional value of water buffalo meat and milk through promotional campaigns, and buffalo producers should be better organized in producer unions.

Animal husbandry is the mainstay of economy of resource poor farmers' in Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains (EIGP). Average milk yield of indigenous cattle was recorded only 2.75+-0.66 kg/day compared to 7.55+-1.20 kg/day in improved cattle. Accordingly, milk yield was recorded to be 3.06+-0.86 and 5.12+-1.71 kg/day in indigenous and improved buffalo. Rearing of improved livestock resulted into 2-fold higher energy inputs compared to indigenous ones. However, energy output was highest through milk in case of indigenous as well as improved breeds of cattle and buffalo. Economic analysis revealed that cost of human labour was highest (GT 40 percent) for rearing of indigenous livestock, followed by dry fodder (GT 25 percent). In case of improved livestock, cost of concentrate feed had maximum input (GT 30 percent). On average, 2000 to 2100 square m of fodder area is required to feed one unit of improved livestock in EIGP. Net monetary benefit was highest for improved cattle (US Dollar 523.10), followed by improved buffalo (US Dollar 135.68). The data indicated that animal husbandry is an important food production system in EIGP besides food crops and both the systems have been found complimentary to one another through emphasis on resource recycling.