Proceedings Buffalo Workshop December 2001

Village buffalo production, conservation and development

K Koobkaew and M Wanapat*

Livestock Officer, Khon Kaen Livestock Office,
Khon Kaen 40000, Thailand
* Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture,
Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand

Abstract

Ban Don Chang, Khon Kaen, Thailand was established as a buffalo conservation and development village group in order to raise awareness, encourage and support the farmers in buffalo production. Operational work among livestock officers and farmers have been outlined and carried out. Activities implemented encompassing various aspects of production in the forms of training and visits.

It is highly expected that extension officers and farmers could interactively work together and the declining buffalo population in Thailand could be slower and the production efficiency could be improved and sustainable.

Key words: Swamp buffalo, village, conservation, development

Background and Justification

Thai swamp buffaloes have been raised from generation to generation as an important source of draft for rice and other field crop cultivation. Swamp buffaloes are mostly raised by farmers in Thailand as a draft animal to provide farm power, manure as fertilizer and meat. Moreover, buffalo meat has been well-consumed by the many of local people (Chantalakhana 1991; Wanapat et al 1994). As a consequence, illegal slaughtering of both male and female buffaloes has been seen in many places. Even more in areas where buffalo fetuses are preferably consumed, which remarkably decreased the buffalo population. As reproductive efficiency is low with longer production cycle, the buffalo population has been dramatically decreased. As reported in 1993, buffalo population was 4.2 million heads but decreased to 1.7 in the year 2000 (OAE 2000). If situation allowed to continue like this the national buffalo population would be declined drastically.

One of possibilities in slowing the decline rate is to maintain having the reproductive females in the area longer. Stimulating and encouraging the engaged farmers to conserve and develop the sustainable buffalo production in the village by supporting and establishing the village conservation and development group, has been taken. The objectives were to empower the engaged farmers and providing technical knowledge to the farmers in regards to breeding, nutrition and feeding, health improvement by interactive working among government officers and farmers. Moreover, it is a means to encourage and increase awareness of the farmers to value Thai swamp buffalo further and to produce it as a sustainable production system and hence, to use this as a model for future expansions.

Ban Don Chang, Khon Kaen Province, has been selected as a demonstration site. The characteristics of this village is as follows.

Village Profile

It is located 20 km northwest of Khon Kaen Province. There are 309 households with 1450 members (About 55 to 45% females: males). Most villagers engage in rice cultivation and raise buffalo, cattle and small numbers of pigs and chickens. Eighty-two households raise buffaloes at the present time. Most household income generated from rice and from livestock and off-farm employment with and average of 32,000 Baht/year (800 $US/year).

Buffalo Production

Before, buffaloes were used for draft but now there are only 3 households still use buffalo as draft.

Since the farmers raised buffaloes on available feed resource never pay much attention to improving breed, feeds and feeding, as a result the buffaloes have been smaller and smaller. Buffaloes are generally raised on native grasses and rice straw in the dry season. There is one big pond outside the village which can be used as a buffalo raising area both for grazing around and as a water reservoir.

Establishment Procedures

1. Study on potential of community, interest and enthusiasm of farmers in conserving and developing the buffaloes.

2. Survey and record of existing buffalo population in the village.

3. Elect the buffalo conservation and development committee members, consisting of 8 members; chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, treasurer, public relations officer and 3 members. These committee members are in office for 2 years and there will be reelection.

4. Training to all farmers in regards to all aspects of buffalo production and management.

5. Supporting some essential factors e.g. breeding bull and dam.

6. Monitoring the on-going activities and village visits, once a month.

Progress and operation of the work:

Ban Don Chang Village has been established to be buffalo raising village in 1997 and became the conservation and development for buffalo in 1999 with initial farmers of 82 and 239 heads of buffaloes. Now, with expansion, there are 138 household members with 435 heads of buffalo. An animal drug bank has also been established. Trainings of Farmers in buffalo health management and using of local feed resources. Department of Livestock Development has provided selected 25 breeding females and 12 already have offspring. In addition, 2 breeding buffalo bulls have been provided which came from the National Buffalo Competition Fair. Herd health disease prevention and vaccination of prevailing contagious diseases have been conducted.

Future work and approach

1. Continuation of breeding improvement by using selected breeding bulls and the use of artificial insemination.

2. Prevention of selling female buffalo from the village and if necessary, the farmers can take loans or rent-in buffaloes from the group.

3. Rehabilitation of using buffalo draft in order to reduce production cost and increase the use of buffalo manure in crop cultivation.

4. Establishment of buffalo information village center and to ling up with other centers.

5. Coordination with other organizations to promote ecological buffalo conservation tourism.

Conclusions and recommendations:

With the above activities it is highly expected that the following could be obtained:

1. Prolonging the reproductive cycle of buffalo females to produce more calves in the village.

2. Farmers will have more income from buffaloes by producing more calves.

3. Farmers can use buffaloes and draft and use manure as fertilizer.

4. It is the way to promote and develop a sustainable buffalo production as it could be a model village and could expand to other villages national-wide.

5. It is expected that through the interactive work among the livestock extension officers and the village farmers, the buffalo population could be maintained and improved as a sustainable production system.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to sincerely express their gratitude to SIDA-SAREC for financial support to participate in the workshop and Department of Livestock Development and Khon Kaen University for their work support and the approval of leave - absence.

References

Chantalakhana, C., P. Bunyavejchewin, S. Chotemetepirom and K. Kaewsomprasong. 1991. Household characteristics and monitoring of year-round buffalo husbandry and activities in two villages in Northeast Thailand. In:Proc. Of Draught Power from Swamp Buffalo In Asia (Eds. P. Bunyavejchewin and C. Chantalakhana) held during 11-14 July 1990 in Bangkok, Thailand. pp 239-268.

OAE, Office of Agricultural Economics. 2000. Agricultural Statistics of Thailand Crop Year 1998/1999. Center for Agricultural Information, Ministry of Agriculture & Co-operatives, Bangkok, Thailand.

Wanapat, M. K. Sommart, C. Wachirapakorn, S. Uriyapongson and C. Wattanachant. 1994. Recent advances in swamp buffalo nutrition and feeding. In:Proc. 1^st Asian Buffalo Association Congress. (Eds. M. Wanapat and K. Sommart), Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen, January 17-21, 1994, Thailand.

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