Factors Affecting Distribution of Cattle in India

The problem of surplus cattle population in India has been widely discussed. The low yield of milk and the roaming cattle everywhere, even in the cities, give an idea of surplus cattle population, and have led to the general izations made about the irrational wastefulness of the large cattle numbers. However, the usefulness of cattle in India should not be judged only in terms of milk yield, because cattle contribute to the prosperity of the farmer in more important ways than by providing milk. The basic question of why the large cattle population is felt to be necessary must be examined in the light of various uses to which cattle are put, and other factors that affect the size of the cattle population. Some .such factors have been mentioned by earlier writers on the topic,', but no attempt has been made to test their ability to explain the size of the cattle population and their influence on the distribution pattern. Also, the problem has been dealt with only at the national level, even though the problem of cattle numbers is more a regional problem in that many decisions are affecting economic matters are taken at the regional state level. In this paper an attempt has been made to identify the factors that seem to affect the size and distribution of the cattle population, and through the application of simple and stepwise multiple regression of the statistical significance of selected factors has been tested