CHALLENGES & STRATEGIES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DAIRY FARMING IN INDIA
- Nithya Quintoil
Assistant Professor, Dept. of VPE, RIVER, Puducherry
Key words: Dairy farming, sustainability, challenges, strategies, Greenhouse gases, milk,
Introduction
Milk and milk products have a good balance of protein , fat and carbohydrate and are a very important source of essential nutrients which includes calcium, riboflavin, phosphorous, vitamins A and B12, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iodine. Milk has a crucial role in bone health. Dairy foods like milk, yoghurt and cheese (particularly reduced-fat products) are not a threat to good health if had as part of a well-balanced nutritious diet. Research has shown:
- Osteoporosis – if milk and milk products are removed from the diet, it can lead to an inadequate intake of calcium. This is especially a concern for women over the age of 50 and the elderly, who have high calcium needs. Calcium deficiency may lead to conditions like osteoporosis (a disease that results in loss of bone).
- Colorectal cancer – according to the World Cancer Research Fund, people who regularly eat more than one serve of dairy products each day (particularly milk) have a reduced risk of developing colon cancer.
- Blood pressure – having milk and dairy products is associated with lowered blood pressure. And, when low-fat dairy foods are combined with a high intake of fruits and vegetables, blood pressure is lowered more than by just having fruits and vegetables.
- Type 2 diabetes – dairy products in general, particularly those that are low-fat, are protective against developing type 2 diabetes.
Dairy farming in India is an ‘all season’ business. In spite of efficient management of a dairy farm, sustainable dairy farming is considered to be a need of the hour. In India cow farming and buffalo farming are the backbone of dairy industry. Dairy farming has been an age-old business in India passed down from generation to generation. During the late 20th century, this tradition saw a decline. However, thanks to the advancements made in science and technology, a huge progress has been made. The contribution made by Amul in the form of ‘White Revolution’ played a very important role in transforming the dairy industry in India from its stagnation level to a world leader.
In 2018, there were over 290 million dairy cows worldwide, producing almost 700 million tonnes of milk [1]. India has the greatest number of dairy cows in the world, over 50 million (17.6% of the global dairy cow population (Table 1 & 2).
Sustainable dairy farming in India is a new concept that prophesies the proper and efficient usage of the resources, without being over-exploitative. It is important to understand that good management of a farming system constitutes the base of the farming system’s economic, environmental and social sustainability [2].
Sustainable Farming Systems
- Consider the farm’s structure & local situation when choosing animal breeds
- Prevent the entry of diseases onto the farm.
- Have an effective herd health/ disease health management programme in place.
- Use all chemicals and veterinary medicines as prescribed to prevent occurrence of chemical residues in milk.
- Ensure that milking routines do not injure cows or introduce contamination to milk.
- Carry out milking activities under hygienic conditions
- Handle milk properly after milking activities
- Feed and water all animals in sufficient quantity, and with products of suitable quality and safety
- Control feed storage conditions
- Ensure traceability of feedstuffs bought off the farm.
- Ensure that all animals are free from hunger, thirst and malnutrition.
- Ensure that all animals are free from discomfort
- Ensure that all animals are free from pain, injury and disease
- Ensure that all animals are free from fear and distress
- Ensure that all animals are free to engage in normal patterns of animal behaviour.
Economic sustainability
- Ensure the safety, quality and transparency of the products throughout the production methods and storage facilities
- Seek to achieve long-term stability of the farm income for proper investments and workforce payment
- Seek to get organised and to select efficient trading channels in order to optimize benefits
- Seek to diversify the farm into other farming activities or/and possible non-farming activities if appropriate, in order to increase farm income and to reduce risk linked to market price fluctuations.
Social Sustainability
- Provide a cordial and pleasant working environment, free of any type of discrimination and free of disciplinary practices.
- Farm workers and their families (if applicable) have access to suitable sanitary, housing and transportation infrastructures and services.
- Ensure that workers’ working hours comply with national and local laws. Overtime performed during peak season is acceptable but duly compensated.
- Ensure that wages and benefits received by workers comply as a minimum with local and national legislation
- Ensure that working conditions comply with recommendations related to occupational health and safety.
Environmental sustainability
- Maintain good soil fertility and prevent damage to the environment, soil erosion and pollution.
- Properly manage and optimise water use
- Maintain or enhance biological diversity on the farm.
- Preserve or improve the air quality
- Minimize adverse impacts on the global environment and climate change
- Properly chose and use energy resources.
- Use crop by-products as much as possible on the farm.
- Recycle the waste generated by the farm
Table:1 Livestock population in India
| Species | 1951 | 1992 | 1997 | 2003 | 2007 | 2012 | 2019 |
| Cattle | 155.3 | 204.6 | 198.9 | 185.2 | 199.1 | 190.9 | 192.5 |
| Adult Female Cattle | 54.4 | 64.4 | 64.4 | 64.5 | 73.0 | 76.7 | 81.4 |
| Buffalo | 43.4 | 84.2 | 89.9 | 97.9 | 105.3 | 108.7 | 109.9 |
| Adult Female Buffalo | 21.0 | 43.8 | 46.8 | 51.0 | 54.5 | 56.6 | 55.0 |
| Total Bovines | 198.7 | 288.8 | 288.8 | 283.1 | 304.4 | 299.6 | 302.3 |
| Sheep | 39.1 | 50.8 | 57.5 | 61.5 | 71.6 | 65.1 | 74.3 |
| Goat | 47.2 | 115.3 | 122.7 | 124.4 | 140.5 | 135.2 | 148.9 |
| Horses & Ponies | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Camels | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Pigs | 4.4 | 12.8 | 13.3 | 13.5 | 11.1 | 10.3 | 9.1 |
| Mules | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Donkeys | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Yak | NC | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Mithun | NA | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Total Livestock | 292.9 | 470.9 | 485.4 | 485.0 | 529.7 | 512.1 | 535.8 |
| Poultry * | 73.5 | 307.1 | 347.6 | 489.0 | 648.8 | 729.2 | 851.8 |
| Source : Livestock Censuses, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, GoI | |||||||
Table: 2 Milk production and per capita availability in India
| Milk production and per capita availability of milk in India (gms/day) | ||
| Year | Production (Million Tonnes) | Per Capita Availibilty |
| 2001-02 | 84.4 | 222 |
| 2002-03 | 86.2 | 224 |
| 2003-04 | 88.1 | 225 |
| 2004-05 | 92.5 | 233 |
| 2005-06 | 97.1 | 241 |
| 2006-07 | 102.6 | 251 |
| 2007-08 | 107.9 | 260 |
| 2008-09 | 112.2 | 266 |
| 2009-10 | 116.4 | 273 |
| 2010-11 | 121.8 | 281 |
| 2011-12 | 127.9 | 290 |
| 2012-13 | 132.4 | 299 |
| 2013-14 | 137.7 | 307 |
| 2014-15 | 146.3 | 322 |
| 2015-16 | 155.5 | 337 |
| 2016-17 | 165.4 | 355 |
| 2017-18 | 176.3 | 375 |
| 2018-19 | 187.7 | 394 |
| 2019-20 | 198.4 | 406 |
| Source: Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics, DAHD&F, GoI | ||
Challenges in sustainable dairy farming
India has been rapidly emerged as one of the largest producers of milk over the last three decades, accounting for 18.5% of global milk production but inadequacies in our dairy supply chain pose a serious health risk, which needs to be addressed immediately. In India the challenges in sustainable dairy production is due to wide variation in
- agro-climatic condition,
- biodiversity and ecology
- socio economic and cultural background of people,
- Types/breeds of dairy cattle reared.
Fodder and Feed: It is a challenge especially when there is a) increase in population, b) decrease in arable land for crop production, c) water shortage, d) food-feed-fuel competition, e) limited supply of phosphorus, f) frequent climate extremes, g) increasing animal and human health risks and h) economic instability.
Animal Health and productivity: Improving the productivity of farm animals is one of the major challenges. The average annual milk yield of Indian cattle is 1172 kg which is only about 50 per cent of the global average. The frequent outbreaks of diseases like Foot and Mouth Diseases, Black Quarter infection; Influenza, etc. continue to affect Livestock health and lowers productivity
Green House gas emissions: Global livestock production is estimated to contribute 14.5% to the total anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with dairy production systems being responsible for about 30% of these emissions (2.1 gigatonnes of CO2e per year). The global demand for dairy products is expected to increase in the future, with the majority of the increase in milk production being anticipated in India. This development is expected to be accompanied by considerable increases in GHG emissions. Dairy cattle produce methane from enteric fermentation, and methane and nitrous oxide from manure. Besides this, dairy production also drives additional emissions from feed production, land use change, processing, and transports. A lack of high-quality feed sources, poor access to credit and poor herd management are examples of common constraints that contributes to GHG emissions.
Greenhouse gas emission sources associated with dairy and agricultural activities. (Source: IPCC; Design courtesy of Amy Swan, Colorado State University .)
Strategies for sustainable dairy farming in India
Feeding strategies:
Increased efficiency in diet formulation will help increase the sustainability of dairy farming. Where fed in excess, protein has potential to be lost as ammonia and nitrous oxide, two damaging GHG’s. This not only results in a negative environmental impact, but a financial loss to the dairy farm.
Making efficient use of available feed resources by:
- Establishing national feed inventories through institutional support and infrastructure
- Implementing the concept of feeding balanced rations in the field and
- Integrating quality control systems in feed analysis laboratories.
Reducing feed losses by:
- Securing crop residues from fields and converting them to densified complete feed blocks
- Promoting use of total mixed rations and methods for silage making and chopping of forages and
- Using proper post harvesting technologies to prevent losses due to mycotoxins.
Enlarging the feed resource base by:
- Using co-products of the biofuel industry and conducting r&d on efficient use of the co-products;
- Scaling up proven laboratory-scale detoxification processes to pilot and industrial scales;
- Promoting the use of forages such as moringa leaves, thornless cactus, azolla and winter barley and
- Tapping local knowledge to identify lesser-known feeds adapted to harsh climates and by creating business models to use them.
Enhancing fodder availability by:
- Strengthening certified fodder seed production and marketing systems, including bringing on board the private sector
- Strengthening extension and training of farmers on good agronomic and cultivation practices to grow high-yielding fodder varieties/hybrids and
- Developing policies and mechanisms to develop common land for fodder production.
Increasing nutrient availability from intestinal tracts by:
- Preventing ‘grabbing’ of nutrients by helminths and
- Using mineral mixtures.
Giving greater emphasis to ruminant production by:
- Supplementing strategically oilseed meals/cakes to low quality roughages;
- Enhancing fodder production
- Hydroponic fodder production which provides year-round supply of fresh green fodder while using minimal labour, land, water and space. It is one of the emerging technologies widely adopted in many parts of the world and proved as the most feasible and easily adoptable one for improving the growth and reproduction in farm animals
- Ration balancing programme (RBP), compound cattle feed, bypass protein feed, mineral mixture, urea molasses mineral block can be popularized among the farmers for sustainable dairy farming
- Silage and hay are preserved or stored feed given to the cattle during a shortage of green fodder. Silage undoubtedly is very good for dairy animals, especially during dry seasons.
- Enhancing use of agro-industrial by-products that do not compete with human food, as animal feed.
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| MORINGA LEAVES | THORNLESS CACTUS |
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| AZOLLA | HYDROPONICS GREEN FODDER |
Environmental strategies: Soil is one of our greatest assets and healthy soils will play a huge part in the future of sustainable agriculture. To improve soil health, soil test is done at the farm every year. This information can then be used to create a Nutrient Management Plan which will outline crop nutrient requirements based on the current soil fertility. Maximising efficiency of slurry use through LESSE (Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment) and fertilisers using Nutrient Management Planning is critical, from an environmental perspective as well as from the profitability angle.
Animal Husbandry strategies: Healthier animals will inevitability be more efficient producers. Good number of managemental practices like deworming, prevention and control of ectoparasites and timely vaccination for all economically important diseases should carried out.
Artificial insemination or natural mating can be allowed at the earlier ages once animal physiologically and physiologically fit for yielding a calf. This is based on a reduction in the need for inputs (land, forage and fertiliser) for heifers not yet producing, or ‘paying back’ in terms of milk production. Calving earlier helps to maximise an animals lifetime performance, minimising lifetime GHG emissions per litre of production and improving the Carbon Footprint of milk.
Integrated Crop–Livestock Farming: Livestock production, specifically dairy, has been identified as a leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Integrated crop–livestock systems (ICLSs) comprise a variety of practices that can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water pollution and enhance C-, N-, and P-cycling, through appropriate fertilizer and manure applications. Practices may include grazing livestock on crops and crop residues, planting forage cover crops, and trading animal waste and crop products among farms. ICLSs have greater potential to mimic the structure and function of natural ecosystems, with less reliance reliance on external input (5)
Green House Gases mitigation strategies
Increasing milk yield per cow is considered a promising strategy for reducing emissions intensity (emissions per unit of milk output) even though absolute emissions per animal increase. This strategy is particularly effective for small-scale dairy farms in India where livelihood benefits for poor farmers can also be significant. Increasing milk yield requires improved herd management through combinations of feed supply and quality, animal health, cow fertility, and improving genetic potential.
Alternative measures for mitigation should therefore also be considered, including, for example, improved manure management, low-emission crop cultivation (e.g., efficient nitrogen uptake, soil carbon sequestration), and avoided land use change. The potential effectiveness and suitability of mitigation options depends on the specific characteristics of dairy farming systems targeted, and their agro-ecological and socio-economic context.
Conclusion
Milk is a wholesome food among all the animal products. India is endowed with the largest livestock population in the world. Dairy farming in India has evolved from just an agrarian way of life to a professionally managed industry. A large number of rural families in India are engaged in dairy production, for whom this is an important source of secondary income. Dairy Farming is facing challenges in sustainability due to varied agro-climatic condition, socio economic status of people, types/breeds of dairy cattle reared etc. The commonly encountered challenges for sustainable dairy farming are unavailability of fodder and or unavailability of land for fodder cultivation, use of unjustifiable concentration of chemicals in agricultural and animal husbandry practices, less awareness in animal diseases and its prevention and control methods, unhygienic milk production practices, GHG emissions, marketing issues etc. The suitable strategies for sustainable dairy farming includes feeding practices like making efficient use of available feed resources by reducing feed losses, enlarging the feed resource base, enhancing fodder availability, Increasing nutrient availability from intestinal tracts, giving greater emphasis to ruminant production, improving the soil health thereby framing nutrient management plan, good animal husbandry practices involving deworming, vaccination, prevention and control diseases, clean and hygienic milk production etc. and GHG emission mitigation.
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