Profitability of agricultural research: the case of genetic improvement of cattle for milk production in Cameroon

Abstract

Data from production and financial records from the Wakwa Centre for Animal and Veterinary Research were used to find out whether or not genetic improvement for dairy production is a profitable investment. The herd projection computer program was used to herd-project the performance of 100 Holstein x Gudali crossbred and 100 Gudali heifers over a 10-year period. Despite the high mortality rate of the crosses, their overall improvement over the local Gudali led to a benefit-cost ratio of 4.21. This suggests that genetic improvement of local cattle through crossbreeding for dairy production can be a profitable venture. Crossbred dairy farming is therefore recommended for the dairy industry in Cameroon. Keywords: Cattle, genetic improvement, milk production, profitability, Cameroon