Assessment of constraints encountered by beneficiary farmers in dairy farming and livestock management trainings conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Introduction

Livestock is an important component of the rural economy and plays a significant role in providing employment, regular income, food and livelihood security to farming households. In India, the livestock sector has emerged as an important contributor to agricultural growth, accounting for 30.87 per cent of the Gross Value Added (GVA) of agriculture and allied sectors during 2023-24 and about 5.5 per cent of the national economy at current prices. The sector has also shown sustained growth due to increasing demand for animal products, changing dietary preferences and adoption of improved livestock management practices. However, inadequate feed and fodder, livestock diseases, genetic limitations, climate variability and weak market linkages continue to affect livestock productivity and profitability (Anonymous, 2026) [1] . Livestock farming, particularly dairy farming, serves as an important source of supplementary and regular income for rural households. The dairy farming provides farmers with not only off-season employment but also a consistent flow of income throughout the year. (Sarkar and Ghosh, 2008) [2] . India has maintained its position as the world's leading milk-producing country, with milk production increasing from 239.30 million tonnes in 2023-24 to 247.87 million tonnes in 2024-25. Maharashtra also holds an important position in the dairy sector, producing 16.63 million tonnes of milk during 2024-25 and ranking fifth among the major milk-producing states of India. Pune district ranked second among the milk-producing districts of Maharashtra, with 2.260 million tonnes of milk production during 2024-25 (Anonymous, 2025) [3] . Livestock management training is an important capacity-building intervention for improving farmers' knowledge and skills related to scientific feeding, breeding, housing, healthcare, disease prevention, clean milk production and overall livestock management. Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), as frontline extension institutions, conduct need-based and practical training programmes to facilitate the transfer and application of improved technologies among farmers. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Baramati regularly conducts livestock management training programmes covering dairy farming, sheep and goat farming, poultry farming, fisheries and biofloc technology. These programmes provide farmers with scientific information and practical knowledge for improving livestock production and management. Despite the benefits of livestock management training, beneficiary farmers may face various constraints in applying the knowledge and skills gained through training. These constraints may be related to the availability and cost of feed and fodder, financial resources, breeding and veterinary services, access to government schemes, post-training support, training materials and practical guidance. Identifying such constraints is essential for understanding the gaps between training and its effective application at the farm level. Farmers' suggestions can further provide useful insights for improving the relevance, accessibility and effectiveness of livestock management training programmes. Hence, it is essential to study the constraints encountered by beneficiary farmers regarding dairy farming and livestock management trainings conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra and to obtain suggestions to overcoming these constraints. The findings of the study are expected to be useful to Krishi Vigyan Kendras, extension agencies, Livestock Development Departments and programme planners in strengthening post-training support and designing more effective, need-based and farmer-oriented livestock management training programmes.

Methodology

The present study was carried out in the jurisdictional area of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Baramati, Pune district of Maharashtra state with an objective to assess the constraints encountered by beneficiary farmers and to obtain suggestions for strengthening Livestock Management Trainings conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra. KVK, Baramati was purposively selected as the study jurisdiction due to its active involvement in conducting livestock management training and capacity-building programmes for dairy farmers. A total of 120 beneficiary farmers from Baramati and Indapur tahsils who participated in livestock management training programmes conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra were selected through simple random sampling for the study. An ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The data were collected through a pre-tested structured interview schedule by conducting personal interviews with the selected beneficiary farmers. The collected data were analysed using statistical tools such as frequency and percentage. The constraints encountered by the beneficiary farmers were identified according to their responses and the suggestions were obtained to overcome these constraints.

Results and Discussion

Assessment of constraints encountered by beneficiary farmers in dairy farming and livestock management trainings conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra

Constraints encountered by beneficiary farmers were operationally defined as the challenges or problems encountered in dairy farming and livestock management trainings. Information was gathered directly from the beneficiary farmers and based on their responses; the specific constraints were identified. [4] , Geethu (2019) [5] , Kadam (2019) [6] , Pawar et al. (2019) [7] , Yadav (2021) [8] , Somtiya et al. (2024) [9] , Mahera et al. (2025) [10] and Pradheeshwaran et al. (2026) [11] .

Suggestions made by beneficiary farmers to overcome the constraints encountered by them

Suggestions are the probable solutions mentioned by the beneficiary farmers to overcome the constraints. The beneficiary farmers themselves proposed the following suggestions to the constraints they experienced regarding dairy farming and livestock management trainings conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, as presented in Table 2. The above findings are similar to the findings of Kadam (2019) [6] , Patil (2019) [12] , Kumar et al. (2024) [13] , Patel et al. (2024) [14] , Meenia et al. (2022) [15] , Somtiya et al. (2024) [9] and Singh et al. (2025) [16] .

Conclusion

In conclusion, the major constraints encountered by beneficiary farmers were high cost of concentrated feed and fodder, lack of timely follow-up support from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, lack of awareness about government schemes and subsidies and shortage of green fodder during summer.

To overcome these constraints, farmers mainly suggested regular training and follow-up visits by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, establishment of fodder banks and promotion of fodder cultivation, better awareness of government schemes and development of digital advisory services.

The study highlights the need for continuous technical support, affordable inputs and improved access to livestock services to enhance the effectiveness of livestock management training programmes. The findings imply that livestock management training programmes should be strengthened through regular follow-up and support visits, improved availability of affordable feed and fodder and greater awareness of government schemes and subsidies. KVKs and concerned agencies should also provide continuous digital advisory services, practical guidance and training materials to ensure effective adoption and sustained application of improved livestock management practices.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementThe authors sincerely acknowledge the support of Agriculture Development Trust's Dr. Sharadchandra Pawar College of Agriculture, Baramati and gratefully thank the beneficiary livestock farmers for their valuable cooperation and participation in the study. The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of earlier researchers whose published works provided valuable insights and guidance for the present study.

References

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