CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DAIRY FARMING IN INDIA
Dr. Trupti Suryakant Kattimani 1 and Dr. Annarao Patil 2
Veterinary officer, Veterinary dispensary Salagar Basantpur TQ: Chincholi Dist: Kalaburgi, Dept. Of AHVS, Karnataka-585306
Senior Veterinary officer, Veterinary Hospital Kalagi, TQ: Kalagi, Dist: Kalaburgi, Dept. Of AHVS, Karnataka-585312
Introduction
India is the largest milk producer in the world, income generated from milk is greater than the income generated from sugarcane and rice. Rural women depend on dairy farming for their livelihood. Milk is known to be complete food as it provides all nutrients and vitamins required for the growth of children and are source of nutrients in rural area. Milk federations in the country are providing market for milk round the year with competitive price. Due to globalization, urbanization, industrialization dairy farms facing lot of challenges and they are discussed below.
- Lower milk rate: In spite of higher demand cow milk rate is 29-35 INR per liters, buffalo rate may be 10 INR more than cow milk rate in most of parts of the India including milk co-operative societies. Lower milk rates and poor demand to milk are the primary challenge in dairy farming. Lower milk rate can be over come by establishing own market channel in the near by cities, hotels and sweet preparing units.
- Lower productivity: Due to poor genetical make up, poor feeding practice and temperate climatic condition indigenous animal has lower productivity compared to European animals. By the practices of cross breeding, balanced nutrition, good management practices and seasonal management in the farm will increases the production in the farm.
- Market facility: In spite of thousands of Milk Co-operative societies working in India, they will cover hardly 40 per cent of total milk produced, remaining 60 per cent milk is sold through un organized sector to consumers, bakery units and hotels ending with lower price and limited period of marketing opportunity. Market should be created based on demand of milk and milk products. Co-operative societies will facilitate round the year market for milk. Small processing units will help to produce the milk products which are in demand in that particular locality.
- Milk products: No facility for the production of milk products from milk at producer level. Milk is a highly perishable commodity. For long shelf life it needs to preserve in cold, special tetra pack, or needs to convert by products like Panner, Cream, Cheese, ghee, milk powder etc. But in India this is not possible at producer level. By the use of technology farmer can produce the milk products which have high marketability in that area.
- Record keeping: In India more than 70 per cent dairy farms will not practice record keeping. Record keeping is one of the important steps for the successful dairy farming. It is the indicator of farm activity and outcome. Recently softwares are used by the farmers for record keeping by tagging with all details of animal including history. Record keeping will helps in efficient production by minimizing the problems and attending them with prompt efforts.
- Breeding related issues: Long standing anestrus, repeat breeding, poor conception rate and early embryonic death are the threats in dairy farming. By the implementation of good management practices, record keeping and ideal feeding practices will reduce the breeding related issues in dairy animals. Those animals which shows breeding problems should be identified and treated early and promptly so that it will not affect the production in the farm. Dedicated and well experienced vets will handle this issue perfectly.
- Labour problems: Due to modernization, change in life style, youths of rural areas moving to cities in search of employment and modern life. Labour problem is biggest draw back for dairy farming. Due to Covid and other reasons slowly youth migrating towards native areas. It will be helpful for dairy farming. Use of chaff cutter, milking machines and automatic cleaning machines will reduce the need of labour in dairy farming. Modern dairy farms are fully automated, machine oriented with software support for good management practices and optimum production.
- Froud and mal practices in livestock market: During initial stock purchase in dairy farming most of time purchase will end up with purchasing of aged, poor producing and diseased animals due to middle man intervention and mal practices. So it can be avoided by including veterinarian in the purchase committee. Careful examination and keeping the animal for 1 or 2 days will minimize the purchase risk in the market. Purchasing of stock directly from farmers will be ideal practice. Avoid purchase of aged, poor producing and diseased animals.
- Health of animals: Diseases like Lumpy Skin Disease, FMD are making huge economical losses in dairy farming in terms of fall in production in lactating animals, abortion of pregnant animals, chronic and long duration of disease and post disease complication will cause severe drop in milk production and economical loss. Diseases like Anthrax, Black quarter etc will cause sudden death of animals leading to very high loss to farmers. It can be over come by regular deworming, vaccination, following of quarantine procedure and bio-security measures in the farm. Veterinarian regular visits and preventive measures will help animals healthy along with good feeding practices in the farm. Clean drinking water and farm hygiene will be the key factors for the health of dairy animals. Regular insuring animals will support the farmers in difficult times like animal deaths due to natural disasters or may be due to disease outbreaks or may be due to accidental deaths.
- Breeding issues in buffaloes: Due to high production, poor feeding practice, prone for heat stress, salient heat, poor conception rate from artificial insemination buffaloes will show more reproduction issues in the farm. Balanced feeding, seasonal management and natural service will help in reduce the reproduction related issues in Buffaloes.
- High risk of diseases and poor adoptability in cross bred animals: Cross bred cattle will not adjust to too hot and temperate climate and they are also prone for haemo protozoan diseases like Theileriosis, Babesiosis. Cross bred cattle also suffer from poor quality of milk production and repeat breeding problems.
- Financial assistance: There is no financial assistance and subsidy to the initial investors for dairy farming in India. Banks will not entertain farming activity loans. Recently Dept of Animal Husbandry, NABARD, self help groups and other NGO are supporting training and financial assistance to poor farmers of rural India for farming activities. Still much more support and awareness is needed in this area.
- Veterinary care: No proper veterinary facility available at farm level. Lack of awareness on deworming, vaccination, dipping causes severe economical losses in dairy farms. Recently state and central animal husbandry departments, milk federations and NGOs organizing free animal health camps in remote areas for the better health and awareness to farmers. It is better to appoint consultant veterinarian for the better health care of dairy animals. Avoid self-medication and tele medication.
- Calf mortality: Calf pneumonia, Colibacillosis, coccidiosis, calf scores, tick and flea infestation, worm infection, poor management, poor feeding are the reasons in dairy farm. Female calves are bonus to the farmer, calf mortality will affect negatively in dairy farming. Separate calf unit, care and management during parturition, proper milk feeding and deworming will help in reducing the calf mortality.
- Calf rearing: Rearing of cross bred and buffalo male calves is often burden in dairy farm, because they don’t have value and returns from market. Usage of sexed semen and sex fixing medication will sort out this problem.
- Parasitic infestation: External parasites will cause poor production, anorexia, spread of haemoprotozoan diseases, blood sucking, malnutrition, rough hair coat, nuisance and anaemia. Severe infestation often causes death due to malnutrition and anaemia, whereas internal parasites affect nutrient absorption, diarrhoea, hypoproteinemia and death in young animals. External parasites affect all age group animals whereas internal parasites affect young animals. Regular deworming, dipping, proper disposal of dung and urine of animals will helps in reduce the parasitic infestation.
- Fodder: Fodder is the key factor in dairy farm. Due to famine condition, cyclones and adverse climatic condition growing of fodder as per the need of animals is a challenging task. Due to attraction to words commercial crops fodder cultivation became least preference and it will adversely affect the production in dairy farm. Creation of awareness on cultivation of fodder, fodder crops will help in more production of more fodder and subsequently more milk production in the farm.
- Urbanization: Industrialization, urbanization and modernization will affecting traditional farming activity like dairy farming in many ways including labour and grazing land availability for animals. Urbanization will create market for milk and milk products. Motivation and creation of employment in the village can solve labour issue.
- Sub clinical diseases: Diseases like mastitis, ketosis, hypocalcemia will affect adversely in the farm. So early detection and prompt treatment will help in fast recovery and maintaining of optimum production over long period will enhance good returns from dairy farming.
- Perishability of milk: Milk is highly nutritious and early perishable commodity. By practicing clean milk production and farm hygiene we can reduce the bacterial count in the milk, there by increase in shelf life of milk. After milking from animal milk should be stored in clean container in low temperature until it reaches to consumers.
- Antibiotic and pesticide residues: These are the main reasons for poor export quality of milk and milk products in India. That’s why globally Indian milk and milk products have not that much demand. Following of proper antibiotic withdrawal period should be practiced at farm level. Feed, fodder and water should be free from pesticide residues. Organic farming will solve this issue.
- Absence of supply of high producing animals: This is a challenge in dairy farming. Selection of high yielding animals can be done with the help of experienced veterinarians and farmers. By the practice of selection of good animals and cross breeding with high performing sire will increases the milk yield of the farm.
- Globalization: Due to globalization and liberalization in the trade, surplus milk and milk products entering in the Indian market. It will affect the Indian farmers due to higher cost of production in India with variety of reasons including climatic factors.
- Lack of awareness about good management practices: Dairy farmers lacking basic information like deworming, scientific calf rearing, disease control, improvement of milk quality and clean milk production. Veterinarians across country are doing various extension activities including the training on scientific dairy farming in rural areas. They are creating awareness and motivation on various farm activities including good management practices.
Strategies for the sustainable dairy farming in India
Dairy farming is challenging farm activity in India, needs lot of efforts and inputs for the sustainability. Starting from animal purchase in dairy farming to market of milk is challenging task in dairy farming. Purchasing locally available cross bred cattle, growing of own fodder, careful calf rearing and creating round the year milk market will be key for the success in dairy farming. In dairy farm milk will be the only commodity for the generation of income means it will have poor sustainability. Dairy farmer should practice vermi compost production, manure production and sale as alternate source of income monthly. Ideal calf rearing should be practiced in the farm so that they will be the source of income annually. Male calves of indigenous breeds have high demand from agriculture farmers, dairy farmer should encash the demand. Milk from cross bred cow should be sold regularly and milk from indigenous cows and buffalo should be used for the preparation of high demand milk products like ghee, khova and panner as alternate source of income. Milk products have high demand during festival seasons. Butter milk and lassi will be having very high demand in summer and marriage seasons. Growing of vegetables and flowers with fodder will helps in efficient utilization of land, manure and labour in dairy farm and they will be source of alternate income. Insurance of the animals, creation of own market for milk and milk products, good management practices and alternate source of incomes in the farm are the key for success and sustainability in dairy farming.
References
- Challenges and opportunities of dairy sector of India. Dr Rajesh Singh. 2019. Pashudhan prahari website.
- How to increase the income of livestock farmer in India?. Dr Annarao Patil. 2020. Pashudhan prahari website
- Basic of good management of dairy farming in India. Dr. Trupti Suryakant Kattimani, 2021. Pashudhan prahari website.
- How to increase the income of livestock farmer in India?. Dr Trupti Suryakant Kattimani. 2020. Pashudhan prahari website
- Website
- in
- Deoni cattle breed and its success stories associated with farmers. Dr Annarao Patil. 2020. Epashupalana.in website
- Role of Veterinarian activities for enhance the economy of livestock farmer in rural areas. Dr Trupti Suryakant Kattimani. 2021. Epashupalana.in website
- Challenges of Indian dairy industry ( In the aspects of cattle farm). Ravi Jadawala and Dr Satish Patel.2017. Indian journal of applied research. 7(10) :516-517.
- Opportunities and challenges in the Indian dairy Industry. Newd desk. 2017. SMEVENTURE.
- http://www.isca.in/rjrs/archive/v2/iISC-2012/9.ISCA-ISC-2012-1AFS-33.pdf
Please follow and like us:
