ISBN: 978-93-80179-22-3
Edition 2010
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Preface
Animal-rearing has its orIgms in the transition of societies to settled farming
communities rather than hunter-gatherer lifestyles. Animals are domesticated when
their breeding and living conditions are controlled by humans. Over time, the collective
behaviour, life cycle, and physiology of livestock have changed radically. Livestock
production has played a key role in the development of human civilisation.
Development of animal-rearing techniques has steadily increased the productivity. A
remarkable shift in livestock production practices has occurred over the past century
in response to new technologies. Many governments have subsidised livestock sector
to ensure an adequate food supply.
Livestock economics, or the application of economic methods to optimising the
decisions made by livestock producers, grew to prominence around the turn of the 20th
century. It focused on maximising the yield of livestocks while maintaining a good
ecosystem. Throughout the last century, the discipline expanded and the current scope
of the dis.cipline is much broader. Livestock economics today includes a variety of
applied areas, having considerable overlap with conventional economics. It combines
the technical aspects of livestock production with the business aspects of management,
marketing and finance.
This book provides comprehensive coverage of the history of livestock and animal
health economics, theory and tools for the economics of animal health and production,
a review of the application of economics to animal diseases and health problems, and
worldwide examples of economic analysis and policy making. It draws on both extensive
literature and experience in livestock economics and related issues in Europe, Asia,
Africa and Latin America. It will be a valuable reference tool for students, who are
preparing for a wide variety of exciting careers in the marketing of commodities sold
and inputs purchased by agricultural producers; agricultural finance; and management
of agribusinesses, farms and ranches. It will also useful for professional in agricultural
services, economic dev'elopment, commodity promotion and agricultural policy
analysis.
Archana Ruhela
Malini Sinha


Contents
Preface v
1. Changing Trends in Livestock Production 1-22
2. Economic Considerations for Livestock Production 23-44
3. Dairy Economics 45-76
4. Dairy Cooperatives and Economic Planning 77-90
5. Economics of Dairy Marketing 91-110
6. Cost-effective Dairy Feeding Programmes 111-130
7. Economics of Sheep Production 131-148
8. Economics of Poultry Production 149-182
9. Economics of Rabbit Rearing 183-214
10. Costs of Livestock Feed Resources 215-242
11. Economics of Livestock Disease Control 243-262
12. Sustainable Livestock Production 263-297
Bibliography 298-300
Index 301-302