摘要 : In this paper, using household data from two hill districts of Uttarakhand, we have developed a typology of dairy farmers with an aim to identify the factors influencing profitability of dairying. Multivariate statistical techniqu... 展开 In this paper, using household data from two hill districts of Uttarakhand, we have developed a typology of dairy farmers with an aim to identify the factors influencing profitability of dairying. Multivariate statistical techniques, viz., principal component analysis and cluster analysis are used to categorise dairy farmers into four homogenous clusters; (i) small dairy farmers with low family labour (37 per cent),(ii) female dairy farmers with low level of education (12 per cent), (iii) market-oriented dairy farmers (13 per cent) and (iv) low income households (39 per cent). Market-oriented dairy households were more profitable than others because of scale economies, while female dairy farmers with low level of education were the least profitable, implying a need for empowerment of women through training and institutional support so as to improve their scale of dairy production and competitiveness. The proportion of milk sold along with price has been identified as the main factor influencing profitability of dairying. 收起