Disposal Pattern of Milk in Imphal West District of Manipur

This study aimed to evaluate household milk disposal patterns in Manipur by interviewing a sample of 90 dairy farmers from four villages in the Imphal West district using simple random sampling without replacement. The results revealed that the overall average daily milk production per household was 13.88 litres per day, which was significantly higher for households owning CB cows (20.66 litres per day) than local cows (4.36 litres per day). The overall daily average milk retained for household consumption was 1.33 litres per day per household, and the marketed surplus of milk was 12.55 litres per day per household. The majority of the sampled households (72.22 per cent) sold milk directly to the consumers, followed by vendors/middlemen (37.78 per cent) and restaurants/hotels/tea shops (4.44 per cent). Total household milk production (?=0.998) and household size were positively correlated with the marketed surplus of milk. The average price of milk negatively (r = -0.532, p<0.01) influenced the marketed surplus. The non-availability of a co-operative society and the low price of milk per litre were the major challenges experienced by dairy farmers in the district. As no organized sector is available for milk marketing, forming dairy co-operative societies in the district may increase the producer's income.