MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR SUCCESSFUL DAIRY FARMING IN INDIA
India -World leader in dairy farming:
Indian dairy farming is managed by 150 million dairy farmers, largest dairy farming community in the world. Total cattle population is 300 million, which is largest in the world, producing over 187 million tonnes of a milk per year. With this milk production India stood number one position in the world milk production .Another one of the amazing fact is that India is the highest milk consumer of the world . Self-sufficiency in milk and milk products is one of the biggest achievement in the post independent era.
Dairy farming is the strong pillar of Indian Rural Economy:
Vast majority of the 150 million dairy farmers of India are from villages.Next to Agriculture,Dairy farming is the strong pillar of Indian rural economy.Small land holding farmers,landless agricultural laborers and migratory workers are mostly involved in the Dairy farming.In an average these farmers hold only 2 or 3 cows and Buffaloes.Average agriculture land holding capablities of Indian farmers is 1.08 hectare.Average milk production of Indian cow is 3 litres per day.
Even though small land holding with less fodder production and one of the lowest milk production per cow in the world, Indian Dairy farmers made the milk as an affortable food for an ever increasing Indian population.Every Indian must salute the great services of Indian Dairy farmers to the Nation.Per capita milk availability in India has increased from 130 grams per day in 1950 to 374 grams per day in 2018,considerably higher than the world average of 294 grams per day.
Best Dairy farmers of the world:
******************************
Indian Dairy farmers are the best Dairy farmers of the world.This fact is justified by following points
.farmers of top milk producing countries of the world have following back grounds which are not avaiable to Indian Dairy farmers
1.Standard basic education in Dairy farming
2.Strong basic bank financing support
3.Best Dairy farming infrastructure facilities and milk storage facilities
4.Strong farmers cooperative organisations to support the dairy farmers during crisis.
5.Good Insurance coverage for all dairy farming activities
6. Best Veterinary health care facilities at the doorstep of the dairy farmers.
7. Best supply of genetically superior dairy cattle breeds
8.Eradication of contagious cattle diseases
9. Dairy farmers have good representation in Parliament and local bodies to represent their demands.
10. Milk and Milk by products rate were fixed by dairy organisations.
Even though these facilities are not available to Indian rural farmers, they are able to manage with available facilities and made India, the number one milk producer of the world.
Indian Dairy farmers are best in the world:
******************************
current scenario of Indian dairy farming community
1. Most of the investment of dairy farmers are from borrowing and savings.
2. very small land holding or no land holding.
3.Most of the dairy farmers have only primary education.
4.No modern dairy farming facilities and still following the traditional dairy farming
5.Most of the dairy farmers maintain indegenous cattle and buffaloes and 50 percent cross breed cattle.
6.Basic veterinary health facilities not available to remote villages.
7.fodder scarcity and water scarcity during summer months in most of the villages.
8.No uniform price for milk and milk by products.Price fixing of milk not in the hands of dairy farmers.
9.Milk cold storage facilities are not available in most of the villages.
10.there is less representation for dairy farmers in parliament and in local bodies.
Even though with lot of above challenges Indian dairy farmers with their Traditional good dairy farming practices,win the world with their sustainable milk production.
Good Traditional Managemental practices of Indian dairy farmers:
******************************
Suppliers of farm fresh milk:
##############################
Indian dairy farmers are selling 75 percent of milk as fresh milk.Most of the milk sold on the day itself as fresh milk.Most of the Indians are daily enjoying the freshness and purity of milk,which is a rare commodity in the top milk producing countries.
Producing milk from feeding more fodder:
##############################
Most of the Indian dairy farmers feed their cattle the green fodder and dry fodder and use less concentrate.The milk produced from these cattle is good in qualities and best for human consumption.In Each region of India,dairy farmers identified and promoting naturally growing fodder crops which required less irrigation and thrive with natural fertilizers.These fodder varieties identified and documented.More research needed on the indigenous fodder varieties.
Traditional Herbal treatment for cattle:
##############################
Indian dairy farmers only have basic school education.But they learned the best dairy cattle practices from their elders and field veterinary doctors.Traditional herbal treatment practice in rural India is the real strength of dairy farmers.Lot of scientific documents now available regarding traditional Indian herbal medicines. Our Indian Ethno veterinary medicine must promoted well and more promotion needed for our Ethno veterinary medicine.
4.Utilizing the Government veterinary services:
******************************
India is having one of the world biggest veterinary healthcare facilities.Total basic veterinary Institutions available in India is 65,000.Veterinary Hospitals and veterinary ployclinics with advance veterinary diagnostic facilities available in India is 12,000.All these Institutions provided veterinary services free of cost and at subsidized rate.
Every year 300 million cattle vaccinated through these Institutions.Dairy farmers are utilizing all the available veterinary services in these institutions and cooperated well during Vaccination campaigns.
Dairy farmers well accepted the cattle Artificial Insemination technology introduced by government of India.Every year around 80 million cattle Artificial inseminations were carried out in india.
5.Experts in Buffalo Rearing:
******************************
Indian dairy farmers are maintaining around 109.85 million Buffaloes.
Out of 187.7 million tonnes of milk produced annually in India,Buffaloes milk contribution is 91.82 million tonnes. 50 percent of India’s milk production is coming from Buffaloes. Indian Dairy farmers especially from Uttarpradesh,Rajasthan,Madha pradesh,Bihar,Andhrapradesh,
6.Indian Dairy cooperatives:
******************************
According to 2013 statistic there were 1,55,634 village level Dairy cooperatives in India. Total milk unions in India is 183 and its operation is over 418 districts.Total members in Indian dairy cooperatives is 15.1 million of which more than 4.3 million were woman.Average daily cooperative milk procurement is 328 lakh kilogram . Annual amount paid to the dairy farmers through the dairy cooperatives valued more than 260 billion in 2012-13. The average daily milk marketing stood at about 238 lakh liters.Indian dairy cooperatives now market milk in all metro ,major cities more than 2000 towns/cities .Dairy cooperatives generate employment opportunities for about 15 million farm families. All these achievements were started as early as 1946 in Anand ,In a small town in western India , Under the inspiration of
Great leader of India and freedom fighter Sardar Patel ,And the guidance of leaders Morarji Desai , Tribhubandas Patel and Dr.Verghese Kurien . Subsequently dr.Verghese Kurien, the world food prize and the Magsaysay award winner , is the architect of India white revolution , Which helped India emerged as the largest milk producer in the world . Impressed with the development of dairy cooperatives in Kaira district , Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri ,The then prime minister of India in 1964 asked Dr.V.Kurien to replicate the Anand type dairy cooperatives all over India. Thus,the national dairy development board was formed and operation flood program was launched for replication of the Amul model all over India . Dairy farmers of India eagerly participated in the operation flood ,The worlds largest dairy development program lead to great success and became role model to the world .
When compared to dairy farmers of Top milk producing countries, Indian dairy farmers achieved the world best milk production.With the available best Indian veterinary health care facilities and traditional herbal medicial technologies,able to protect the 300million cattle.This is possible because of the hard work and perseverance of Indian dairy farmers,the traditional dairy technologies of Indian dairy farmers and their cooperation with veterinary Doctors and dairy cooperatives created under the leadership of Dr.Verghese Kurien.
Good Management Practices Needed By Indian Dairy Farmers:
******************************
1. Sex sorted semen technology :
##############################
Indian dairy farmers are ready to accept Sex sorted semen technology. Government of India is promoting use of sex sorted semen technology through Rashtriya Gokul mission. 12 A graded semen stations for sex sorted semen will be established under this programme. In future this programme provide sex sorted semen for both indigenious breeds as well as exotic breeds at the village level .
2. Door step AI service
. ################
AI sevices not yet reached the grass root level villages. To increase the AI coverage government of India has launched nation wide artificial insemination programme in 600 districts having less than 50 percentage AI coverage, Covering 100 villages per district and 200 cows per village.1 crore animals are proposed to be covered .
3. Disease resistant cattle
##############################
Disease resistance is the best character of the Indian cattle breeds. Indiscriminate cross breeding lead to production of cross breeds with poor disease resistance . India already have best breeding policy for national and state level . Strict implementation of breeding policy is need of the hour. Strict screening of imported AI straws are vital for the future Indian cattle and milk production . Disease resistance cattle with best feed coversion capabilities are the best breed qualities of Indian cattle breeds. These type of best Indian breeds are still maintained by dairy farmers of India. More research in these breeds with involvement of Indian dairy farmers lead to development of more such breeds .
4. Preservation and Promotion of Indigenous cattle
##############################
Major share of milk production in India is from Indigenous buffaloes and Indigenous cows. Proportion of milk production by species:
#Indigenous Buffaloes- 35 percent
#Non Descriptive Buffaloes- 14 percent
#Indigenous cows- 10 percent
#Non Decriptive cows- 10 percent
#Cross Bred cows- 26 percent
#Exotic cows- 1 percent
India is home for world best dairy cow breed and world best drought breeds. More promotion and preservation is needed for our breeds .
5. India is home for best milk by products
##############################
Each region of India is having region specific milk by products. Panner,Chhena,Chhena poda,Chhena gaja, Rasabhali , Sandhesh, Rasgulla,Khira Shgara and paalkova are some of the world famous dairy products of India .
Worldwide more intensive marketing of these products lead to more growth in Indian dairy sector.
6. Introduction of low cost- no cost technologies
##############################
Farmers of India practised lot of low cost-No cost technologies in dairy farming .
Some Examples of low cost- no cost technologies:
1. Cultivation of native green fodder which needed less water and fertilizers.
2. Low cost cattle shed with locally available materials.
3. Using the traditional herbs for cattle ailments.
4. Traditional conservation methods of dry fodder.
5. Indigenous milk
by- products making and marketing.
7.Health insurance coverage for Dairy cattle:
##############################
Health insurance coverage for dairy cattle not freely available in India yet.50 percentage subsidy health insurance coverage scheme implementated by government through out india is one of beneficial scheme for dairy farmers.Under this scheme each farmer permitted to insurence 5 dairy cattle with 50 percent subsidy.This scheme must be implemented in all districts of India for the benefits of dairy farmers.
Dairy farmers with 10 to 100 dairy cows also included in this scheme.
8.Electricity for dairy farms at subsidy rate:
##############################
Dairy farmers are provided free or subsidy rate electricity for the dairy farm usage as like
Agriculture in India.This will encourage the dairy farmers to adopt new technologies like milking machine,grass cutter,cream separator,drip irrigation,rain gun,Heater to sterilize dairy equipments and chaff cutter.
9.Usage of solar Technology for dairy farms:
##############################
For Dairy farmers in remote villages, Electricity is a rare commodity.Introduction of solar technology based electricity generation for dairy farm operation lead to best development in dairy farms in remote villages.
10.Use of Information Technology:
##############################
Correct information on correct time is more beneficial to dairy farmers living in 6,64,369 villages of India.Government of India Launched E.Gopala app for the use of Indian dairy farmers.Information Net work for Animal Productivity and health(INAPH)an application for capturing of real time reliable data on breeding,nutrition and health services delivered at dairy farmer’s Doorstep is the best initiative by NDDB of India.Effective implementation of these application in all regional languages of India helpful to dairy farmers of all regions of India.
11.All India Milk marketing coordination committee:
##############################
As like Indian Egg price coordination committee and Broiler meat price coordination committee,Milk price coordination committee with the representation of dairy farmers from all regions of India is the best initiative for time to time fixing of milk price according to the market rate.
( By Field Vet – Dr .M.S SARAVANAN B.V.Sc.,M.A.,PGDCM.,LME.,
Tamilnadu,Madurai )
REFERENCES:
· World statistics for artificial insemination in cattle. March 2002- livestock production science 74(2)203-212
· National dairy development board www.nddb.coop.
· Press information bureau/ Government of India/10 December 2019
· Indian dairy under threat from new trade deals – grain.org
· Indian – number of dairy cooperative societies by region 2019| Statista www.statista.com
· Facts at Glance | nddb.coop – National Dairy Development Board.
Please follow and like us:
