This  study  investigated  the  factors  affecting  on  milk  production  of  the  contract  dairy  cattle 
farmers’ of Swiss Cheese Company Pvt. Ltd. in Nuwara-eliya district. A field survey was carried 
out using 50 farmers in Queensberry, Bogahawatta, Maskeliya, Kellewatta and Rozella villages.  
A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used. 
The  investigated  farmers  were  virtually  landless  and  farming  is  done  in  extremely  small 
(118±8.7 m
2
) block of land, in most cases owned by commercial tea plantations.  Herd size was 
found to be 2.26±0.18 with low number of lactating cows (1.0±0.12).  Although, almost all cattle 
farmers practice stall feeding (96%), majority of them (68%) depend entirely on naturally grown 
low  quality,  mix  weeds.    The  roughage  and  concentrate  offered  were  47.8±4.35  and  1.1±0.09 
kg/cow/d,  respectively.    Although,  the  temperate  cross  bred  dairy  cows  managed  were  at  their 
4±0.4
th
  parity,  the  milk  production  was  found  to  be  considerably  low  (6.7±0.78  L/cow  and 
9.2±1.14  L/herd).    Age  at  first  calving  was  34±0.2  and  the  calving  interval  was  14±0.2  in 
months.    Cost  benefit  analysis  showed  that  the  B/C  ratio  (per  herd)  was  2.36±0.359,  thus  the 
farmers gain profits from cattle keeping.   
The  regression  analysis  reviled  that  calving  interval,  percentage  lactating  cows,  expenditure  on 
concentrate,  AI,  veterinary  service  and  the  amount  of  roughage  offered  are  the  factors  that 
significantly (P<0.05) affect on herd milk production.  Farmers’ knowledge in cattle keeping was 
found to be significantly low possibly due to low level of formal education. 
According to perception of farmers’, lack of capital for improve housing facilities, unavailability 
of forage source, low milk productivity of cattle and low farm-gate milk price were identified as 
constraints  in  cattle  farming  in  the  studied  area.  Herd  milk  production  from  contract  farmers 
could be improved by introduction of better feeding (i.e. concentrate and roughage) strategies. 
Key words: Cattle, Milk production, Feeding, Calving interval, Expenditure