Optimizing Farm Inputs of Maize Silage Production Integrated With Small Scale Dairy Farming

Abstract

The study aim is to identify a model of smallholder dairy production that which the farmer could control feed resources and its supply in order minimizing feed risk for their cattle, as well as to identify the most efficient of using inputs (minimized cost) in producing the silage. The reseach is a case study on the farm activity. Farm record, such as farm output, inputs and their price, were collected and selected to meet the analysis requirement. Improving feeding system based on maize silage, in practice, can be adopted by the farmer who ccupy a hectare arable land. With doubled yielding in one plant season, the silage fulfils 40% of the daily forage requirement for feeding 7.6 animal unit of dairy cattle over a year regularly. The integrated farming system can be considered by the dairy farmer who attempts scaling up their farming within limited labor availability.