AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF THE MAIN FACTORS AFFECTING THE MILK PRODUCTION IN SHARKIA GOVERNORATE.

The main objectives of the study can be summarized as follows: (i) studying the production performance and economic efficiency for different types of dairy cows. (ii) studying the main dairy production problems or constraints affecting the milk productivity and total return per dairy head. The main results can be summarized as follows: (i) the total costs per kg of milk is estimated at 6.84 LE/kg for baladi cow, 4.77 LE/kg for crossbred cow and 5.35 LE/kg for buffalo cow. (ii) the net total costs per kg of milk (i.e., total costs less non-milk return) is estimated at 2.74 LE/kg for baladi cow, 2.07 LE/kg for crossbred cow and 2.59 LE/kg for buffalo cow. (iii) the gross margins and the net profits per kg of milk for baladi cow, crossbred cow and buffalo cow are estimated at 1.44 LE/kg, 1.21 LE/kg; 2.02 LE/kg, 1.88 LE/kg and 3.04 LE/kg as well as 2.86 LE/kg, respectively. (iv) the farmer incentive per kg of milk is estimated at 31% for baladi cow, 48% for crossbred cow and 53% for buffalo cow. (v) the milk quantities produced from the studied cows increase when the problem degrees decrease. (ii) the total returns from milk per head increase when the problem degrees decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]