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Abstract
This study was conducted to find out whether dairy farmers could
increase their profits through intensification of input use. Data was
collected from 150 farmers in three dairy production systems. Data
collected included the resources used in milk production, yields
obtained, prices of inputs and output and the problems faced by
farmers in dairy production. Gross margin analysis was done and
results indicated that the GMs for the three systems are not significantly
different from each other. Quadratic and Cobb-Douglas functions
were fitted using the inputs used in dairy production and marginal
products equated to inverse price ratios. The results showed that the
highest scope for increasing milk yield and profit exists in zero grazing
where it is possible to increase milk yield by 94.4% through increased
use of concentrates and farm by-products. For semi-zero and extensive
grazing systems, farmers could increase milk yield by 57.5% to reach
economic optimum by using more concentrates and forages. The
important conclusion which can be drawn from this study is that there
is unexploited potential in the three dairy production systems. The
study recommends that farmers should be encouraged to use more concentrates and by-products by addressing problems which lead to
limited use of concentrates and by-products.