Status, problems and solution suggestions of buffalo breeding in Amasya province

This research was carried out to determine the situation, problems, and solution suggestions of water buffalo breeding in Amasya province. For this purpose, data obtained from face-to-face surveys with 69 farmers who are members of Amasya Province Buffalo Breeders' Association and who are within the scope of the Anatolian Buffalo Breeding in Public Hands project were used. The majority of the producers participating in the survey are male (89.9%), 41-50 (40.6%) and 51-60 (26.1%) age groups, 1-2 (46.4%) and 3-4 people (50.7%) individuals who are in the workforce. Producers are mostly primary school graduates (59.4%) and have been breeding buffalo for more than 30 years (79.7%). The 55.1% of the enterprises are raised together buffalo and cattle. Most producers believe that the project will be successful (97.1%) and contribute significantly to solving the problems (100%). Closed barn type (92.8%), concrete floor (95.7%), tied stall (95.7%), mostly not used bedding (90.2%), chimney and door/window ventilation (62.3%), creme type roofing material (87.0%), and concrete feeder (85.5%) are the most important structural features of the barns. Furthermore, feeding system in the barn and pasture (100%), watering with automatic waterers (49.3%), urban water supply as water source (97.1%), staying with the mother of the calves in the barn (94.2%), and straw litter (76.9%) are the most important in-house features. Farmers mostly give dry alfalfa, straw and silage together as roughage (36.2%) and silage to their buffaloes, most roughages make themselves (65.2%), factory feed as concentrate feed is given primarily (68.1%), and concentrate feeds are mostly supplied from the factory (59.4%). Producers benefit from their own experience and mother/father teaching about feeding (81.2%), animals are fed twice a day (72.5%) and before milking (56.5%), feeding with less than 5 kg of concentrate feed (68.1%) and the feeds are stored in closed indoor storage (100%). While 44.9% of the producers are making silage, 55.1% of the producers do not make silage. Buffaloes are mostly sent to the pasture in April (85.5%) and removed from the pasture in November (71.0%). Generally, calves are not given umbilical cord care (71.1%), colostrum as soon as born (100%) is given to them by sucking their mother (97.1), and calves are weaned over 4 months (94.2%). Buffaloes are milked mostly by hand (88.4%) and twice a day (31.9%). The 92.8% of the produced milk is sold for 7.17 TL, the milk is stored in plastic jerrycan and copper bottles (56.5%) and milk, yogurt, butter and cheese are mostly produced together (55.1%). Most of the producers call a private veterinarian in case of illness (95.7%), the main health problem encountered is abortion (37.7%), health problems are not seen in 39.1% and the birth type is unaided (100%). Mastitis control is done daily in 84.1% of enterprises (100%) and by hand milking (100%). Calf deaths are sometimes (75.4%) or not seen at all (23.2%) in enterprises, and diarrhea is one of the most important diseases seen in calves (56.5%). The most critical problems related to buffalo breeding are milk marketing problems, insufficient support, low milk prices, roughage problem, quality feed problem, artificial insemination, and fertility problem, calf care and breeding problem, lack of information about the use of new technologies, low milk yield of animals, qualified labor problem, lack of supports for feed plant, decreasing young population, education problem, pasture problem, insufficient forage crops production and quality breeding problem. The increase in buffalo support and milk prices and the decrease in feed prices are among the most critical expectations of the farmers from the project. Keywords: Buffalo, Amasya, Breeding, Problems, Solutions