An attempt was made to know the management system of intensive buffalo farming and buffalo derived -problems under semi-arid area of Bangladesh. Direct interview with farmers, farm observation, community discussion and key informant interview (KII) had been followed over six months in Dinajpur district. It was observed that buffaloes were reared under two types of management system namely household yard intensive (HYI) and completely intensive (CI). In HYI system, farmers purchased heifer or pregnant buffalo from local market and sold mother with calf after one year. Buffaloes were kept shed at night and maintained feeding, showering and other activities in the household yard at day. Those were showered by once-two times/week in cool day, but most of them were showered in a day. On the other hand, in CI system, buffaloes were reared inside the shed all time and maintain feeding, showering and other activities in the shed. Buffaloes were showered twice in a day in winter period while three times in summer period. Average milk production for each buffalo was 5 to 8 liter/day. Major productive and reproductive traits e.g. lactation Length (day), average milk yield (L/day), dry period (day), age at first pregnancy (month) and age at first calving (month) were found better in CI system than that of HYI system and those were found highly significant (P LT 0.001). Significant difference were found on total solids, fat and protein content but no significance difference were observed on SNF, lactose and ash of buffalo milk between two farms. Insignificant difference (P GT 0.05) was found for the value of electric conductivity (ECms/cm) that showed both farms produced healthy milk (3.25+-0.49 vs 3.09+-0.89). Both systems showed as a profitable venture (BCR 1.33 vs 1.25). Problem matrix revealed that the top ranked order of problem were "inadequate knowledge on buffalo rearing", "high price of feed" and "low milk price" mentioned as 1, 2 and 3. Shortage of feeds and fodder, high temperature and lack of cow boy were ranked as 4, 5 and 6. Limited breeder bull, lake of AI workers and inadequate quality semen and credit facilities mentioned as 7 ranked problem. It was concluded that ensuring training and marketing could help to improve intensive system of dairy buffalo that meet up the growing demand of milk in urban people. Simultaneously AI facilities with quality semen, HYV fodder cultivation and credit facilities should be promoted for sustainable dairy buffalo farming.

Farming systems and socio-economic status of farmers rearing Diara buffaloes were studied by visiting 183 farmers' herds belonging to Diara breeding tract in Patna district of Bihar, India. Results indicated that the estimated population of Diara buffaloes in the breeding tract was 0.60 million out of 3.91 million in Bihar state. Reduction in forest area, cultivable waste land, permanent pastures and grazing land, and fallow land to the tune of 36.0 percent, 60.6 percent, 55.1 percent and 44.4 percent poses a major challenge to the simple existence of Diara population. A total of 63.4 percent of the farmers in the breeding tract provided their buffaloes housing in terms of temporary sheds. The estimated age at first calving of Diara buffaloes was found to be 46.4+-2.56 months whereas the mean service period and dry period of these buffaloes in the breeding tract were observed to be 88.1+-5.25 and 127.18+-4.56 days, respectively. The inter-calving period in the habitat was found to range from 15 to 21 months. Interaction studies between different components of farming systems with Diara farmers showed that the distance between agriculture and buffalo rearing was the shortest with 15 units in the study area. Percentage contribution of Diara buffaloes to the overall income was highest with landless farmers (41.3 percent), followed by marginal (38.5 percent) and small farmers (33.8 percent). Regression analysis of different independent variables disclosed that investment on bullocks had highly significant (P LT 0.01) effect on the income of Diara farmers. Improving the role of Diara buffaloes from sustaining the farmers to prospering the farmers has been discussed.

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.