Milch Buffalo Keeping in the Kole Lands of Thrissur District, Kerala – An Analysis of its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

This paper discusses the results of a study on strengths, weaknesses, opportuni�es and threats of the milch buffalo rearing system of the Kole lands of Thrissur district of Kerala state with a view to address significant issues as well as to understand poten�al threats that have to be mi�gated in the long run. Kole lands are the wetlands coming under the Ramsar conven�on; Focus group discussions and personal interviews with Key Informants such as buffalo farmers from non-sampling areas and veterinarians working in the Kole lands paved the way for the genera�on of various strengths, weaknesses, opportuni�es and strengths of the milch buffalo rearing system. These items were then pretested in a non-sampling area before being administered to 50 milch buffalo farmers through personal interviews. The results of the study indicated that the higher adaptability and disease resistance of the animal coupled with its ability to convert low quality fibre into high quality protein, high fat percentage of buffalo milk and the medicinal property of buffalo ghee were perceived by respondents as being poten�al strengths of this system. Lack of opportuni�es for training on scien�fic buffalo rearing prac�ces was perceived by the respondents as being the most important weaknesses of the milch buffalo rearing system along with the lack of a compulsory Haemorrhagic sep�cemia (H.S) vaccina�on policy for buffaloes. Perceived opportuni�es of the milch buffalo rearing system were centred on the factor associated with the market environment for current products. Significant threats to this system included the lack of policy measures to contain the dispropor�onate increase in feed cost when compared to milk price