BUFFALO POPULATION and PRODUCTION in ALBANIA

1. ORIGIN:

    European/ Mediterranean
       TYPES:

       BREEDS:

       CROSSINGS:


2. GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS:

    Coastal

3. NUMBERS:

       Adult females= 70  

       Adult males  = 33  

       Young stock  =   


4. NUMBER OF HERDS:

     private herds:
     research herds:

5. DESCRIPTION OF ANIMAL:

                                adult male           adult female
   height at withers(cm)           137                    126
   weight(kg)                      897                    465
   color                              black or dark grey
   horns                              backward and sideward

6. PRODUCTIVITY:
     n days lactation/year:
     lactation milk yield (kg): 380-480
     age at first calving:
     average lactation number:
     age at slaughter for young stock:
     weight at slaughter for young stock :
     is the calf suckeling:
     how many months:
     in all herds:
     are cows milked once a day:
     are cows milked twice a day:
     where:
     are cows milked by hand:
     are cows machine milked:

7. FERTILITY
     n calves/year:
     season of calving:

8. HOUSING

9. ARE BUFFALOES USED FOR 
     draught: yes; main use
     cart:
     plough:

10. SOURCES OF FEED
     Grazing, roughages, by-products, maize/wheat only in winter

11. TOTAL ANNUAL PRODUCTION BY SPECIES
                adult   total  consumed  cheese  fermented   other   meat
               females  milk    fresh             milk and   dairy    mt
                  n       mt                       yogart
     buffaloes    70

     cow         170000  250000                                       20000

     sheep               20000            6100       2160              8000
 
     goat                33000              |          |               4000

    Other products from buffaloes:

12. MILK RECORDING

13. REPRODUCTION
     has each farmer his own bull:
     are bulls for natural service available in villages:
     how many:
     artificial insemination available:

14. DISEASES

15. SOCIAL POSITION OF BUFFALO FARMERS

16. PERSPECTIVES OF BUFFALO PRODUCTION
     One reason for the decreasing of buffaloes was the quicvk collectivisation. At the same time the investments for bonification and the mechanization of agriculture were increased. Being considered only as a draught animal, the interest towards this animal was decreased. We think that the new changes in politics and economy, happening now in Albania will create good conditions for the Albanian farmer to come back to this species, but now with new objectives. The new situation and more particularly the development of the tourism will increase the demand for dairy products from this animal. milk and dairy products will be very requested. Having that in mind we have now the purpose to develop a project to support the increasing of buffalo population and it's genetic improvement.

17. REPORT SUBMITTED BY
     Y. Bikoku- Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Tirana and K. Kume- Animal      Production Institute, Tirana