MILK PRODUCTION OF HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN AND LOCAL CROSSBRED CATTLE IN THE VILLAGES OF KURIGRAM

A total of fifty cattle keeping farmers were enumerated in the villages of five upazilas under Kurigram district in Bangladesh from May 01, 2025 to May 30, 2025. Data on peak milk production, herd size, fodder cultivation, and health care were collected using a close questionnaire by visiting door to door of farmers’ house to explore information on milk production performances and cattle keeping practices in the experiment areas. Average daily peak milk production (17.44 ± 0.93 liter/cow) of Holstein-Friesian and Local crossbred cattle was higher than that of national daily average milk production (6.672 liter/cow) in Bangladesh. Mean number of cattle was 5.50±0.48 heads/farmer but most of the dairy cattle farmers were cultivating fodder. Farmers were knowledgeable on deworming, hygiene and sanitation, stress management but less aware of administering vaccines against different viral and bacterial diseases. The study might be indicated a huge scope to develop dairy cattle breed here in Bangladesh as the big gap between national average daily milk production and mean peak milk production in Holstein-Friesian and Local crossbred cattle per day per cow was observed. Further study encompassing big numbers of dairy cattle and cattle keepers around the country in all seasons of the year is recommended.