Low Productivity of Indian Dairy Animals: Challenges & Mitigation Strategies

Low Productivity of Indian Dairy Animals: Challenges & Mitigation Strategies

Dr. Shivani Rameshwar Itankar^1*

1*- MVSc Student, Department of Veterinary Pathology, NDVASU, Jabalpur

Introduction

India, a country primarily dependent on agriculture, is having the highest livestock population and is the largest producer of milk and milk products in the world. In 2021-2022, India contributed more than 24.64% of global milk production and ranked first in highest milk production in the world, followed by the USA, China, Pakistan and Brazil. During last nine years period, i.e.2014-15 to 2022-23, Indias milk production has increased from 146.31 million tonnes in 2014-2015 to 230.58 million tonnes in the year 2022-2023, which is 58% rise in milk production.

Despite these appreciable achievements, the productivity of Indian dairy animals remains significantly lower than that of their counterparts in developing and developed countries. This low productivity is a multifaceted issue influenced by genetic, nutritional, managemental, healthcare, and socio-economic factors. Addressing these challenges is crucial for enhancing milk yield, improving the livelihoods of millions of dairy farmers, and ensuring food security in India. This article explores the underlying causes of low productivity in Indian dairy animals and outlines potential mitigation strategies to address these challenges.

Challenges

1. Poor genetic potential

Poor genetic potential of dairy animals is one of the major root causes for low productivity of dairy animals in India. This is because India’s dairy sector relies heavily on indigenous breeds, which are well-adapted to local climatic conditions and are resistant to diseases but produce less milk as compare to exotic breeds like Holstein Friesian and Jersey breeds.

2. Lack of quality feed and fodder

Shortage of quality feed and fodder is one of the biggest challenges being faced by Indian dairy sector. According to 2019 annual report of Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI, Jhansi), India uses only 5% of its cultivable land for fodder production and faces shortage of 11.24% of green fodder, 23.4% of dry fodder and 28.9% of concentrate.  Due to this shortage, animal are most oftenly fed on crop residues and feed containing low quality nutrients, leading to deficiency in essential nutrients like minerals, vitamins, proteins and energy. This is affecting productivity and health of animals.

3. Unorganised Indian dairy sector

The Indian dairy industry remains largely unorganized, with only 18-20% of milk production managed by the organized sector. The unorganized sector lacks modern processing infrastructure, hosing and managemental practices, due to which traditional outdated managemental practices are prevalent in many parts of the country. This contributes to the stress to animals, leading to lower productivity.

4. Limited access to credit and insurance

The small and marginal farmers of the Indian dairy industry struggle to access formal bank credit and insurance, which limits their ability to invest in modern animal husbandry infrastructure and increase the size of their dairy businesses. Limited access to financial services restricts their ability to invest in better feed, healthcare, and management practices. This financial limitation is a major barrier for Indian dairy farmers for improving productivity of animal.

5. Inadequate veterinary facilities

According to National Commission on Agriculture-1976 recommendations, one veterinary institution be established for every 5,000 cattle units (one cattle unit =1 cow / 1 buffalo /10 goats / 10 sheep / 100 poultry/ 5 pigs) to maintain effective veterinary healthcare facilities. But, the ratio of veterinarians to livestock population in India is very low. This leads to poor health management, decrease in productivity as well as high levels of morbidity and mortality in dairy animals. Some of the diseases affecting productivity of the dairy animals include; foot and mouth diseases, mastitis, and brucellosis.

6. Climate Change

Climate change is likely to be the biggest challenge affecting dairy farming in India. Changing weather conditions like extreme high to extreme low temperatures, variability in rainfall, extreme weather conditions are challenging the Indian dairy sector by impacting availability of feed, fodder and water, thereby impacting animal health and productivity.

7. Poor adoption of technology by Indian dairy farmer

High-yielding fodder varieties and technologies like urea-molasses treatment, silage, and hay making are available but are poorly adopted by Indian farmers. According to Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, on an average India produces 500 million tons of crop residue annually, with 92 million tons burned instead of being used as animal feed. This surplus when fed to livestock could significantly enhance livestock nutrition.

Also, Artificial Insemination (AI) technique in large animals is the most affordable method for spreading improved genetics. However, AI coverage is only about 30%, varying widely across states. Consequently, 65% of animals are still bred naturally due to lack of acceptance by farmers, poor doorstep services, poor semen quality or insufficient trained technicians.

Mitigation stratagies to improve productivity of indian dairy animals: –

1. Improvement of germplasm

Genetic improvement plays a pivotal role in enhancing the productivity of dairy animals. Various breeding strategies can be employed, as follows:

• Implementing selective breeding programs to improve desirable traits such as milk yield, fat content, and disease resistance.
• Focusing on breed improvement through the promotion of indigenous breeds and strategic crossbreeding with high-yielding exotic breeds.
• Advanced reproductive technologies such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer should utilized to accelerate genetic progress and enhance the quality of dairy animals.
• Efforts to preserve genetic diversity through conservation initiatives are crucial for maintaining resilient and adaptable breeding stock suited to local environmental conditions.

2. Nutrition Enhancement

One of the primary factors influencing dairy animal productivity is nutrition. Many dairy animals in India suffer from inadequate nutrition, which directly impacts their health and milk production. To address this issue, it is essential to enhance nutrition through several strategies as follows:

• Ensuring access to high-quality feed resources such as green fodder, dry roughage, and concentrate feeds is crucial.
• Implementing techniques like silage making and ensiling can help preserve crop residues and improve their nutritional value.
• Utilizing by-products from agriculture and agro-industries as feed supplements can further increase nutritional intake.
• Providing mineral supplements and feed additives can address specific nutrient deficiencies and optimize animal health and performance.
• Adopting precision feeding practices suitable to the nutrient requirements of individual dairy animals can maximize feed efficiency and productivity.

3. Health Management

Disease prevalence significantly impacts the productivity and well-being of dairy animals. Therefore, effective health management strategies are very important for disease prevention and control. Various stratagies for management of animal health are as follows:

• Vaccination programs targeting prevalent diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), Mastitis, and Brucellosis are essential for control of disease.
• Strict biosecurity measures must be implemented to prevent disease introduction and transmission within and between dairy farms.
• Promoting good hygiene and sanitation practices in housing facilities, feeding areas, and milking parlors can minimize the risk of disease outbreaks.
• Regular health monitoring and diagnostics are critical for early detection and management of health issues, while providing farmers with training and support on disease prevention and treatment measures is essential.

4. Environmental Management

Environmental factors such as heat stress, humidity, and poor housing conditions can significantly impact dairy animal productivity. to mitigate these challenges, effective environmental management strategies are necessary to be followed

• Providing comfortable housing conditions with adequate ventilation, shade, and bedding is crucial for minimizing heat stress and promoting animal welfare.
• Implementing cooling measures such as fans, misters, and sprinklers during hot weather can help reduce heat stress and improve milk production.
• Optimal water management practices are essential to ensure sufficient hydration and cleanliness for dairy animals.
• Additionally, designing and maintaining drainage systems to prevent waterlogging and minimize environmental contamination are critical for ensuring a healthy and hygienic environment for dairy farming operations.

5. Capacity Building and Extension Services

• Capacity building and extension services play a vital role in disseminating knowledge and promoting best practices in dairy farming.
• Providing training, education, and extension services to dairy farmers on nutrition, breeding, health and environmental management is essential for enhancing productivity and sustainability.
• Access to information, technology, and technical support through government agencies, research institutions, and dairy cooperatives can empower farmers to adopt innovative and sustainable practices.
• Collaboration between stakeholders including farmers, veterinarians, researchers, and extension workers is crucial for sharing knowledge and experiences and fostering continuous learning and improvement in dairy farming practices.

Mitigation stratagies implemented in India: –

Various programs have been implemented by Indian government to improve the low productivity of dairy animals are as follows: –

Nutrition and feed management programme

• Fodder development programme: –focuses on increasing the production and availability of high-quality fodder crops to ensure a consistent supply of nutritious feed for dairy animals.
• Ration balancing programme: –educates farmers on formulation of balanced diets for dairy animals using locally available feed and fodder resources, aiming to enhance milk production and animal health.

Genetic improvement programme

• National artificial insemination programme: –aims to improve the genetic quality of dairy animals by providing access to high-quality semen from genetically superior bulls, enhancing the overall productivity of the herd.
• Rashtriya gokul mission: –focuses on the conservation and development of indigenous bovine breeds through selective breeding, genetic improvement and establishing centers for breeding activities.

Financial support and market access programme

• National dairy plan: –The plan provides financial and technical support to dairy farmers for genetic improvement, fodder development, and milk production enhancement initiatives.
• Kisan credit card scheme: –This scheme offers credit facilities to dairy farmers, allowing them to access funds for purchasing inputs, veterinary services, and other necessities to improve their dairy operations.

National livestock mission

• Fodder seed production and distribution: –The program aims to increase the production and distribution of high-yield fodder seeds to ensure farmers have access to quality feed, promoting better nutrition for dairy animals.
• Silage and hay making: –This initiative promotes the adoption of silage and haymaking techniques among farmers to preserve fodder for lean periods, ensuring a steady supply of nutritious feed throughout the year.

Conclusion

Being the largest producer of milk globally and a significant contributor to the national economy, indian dairy sector holds immense potential to grow to the greater heights. However, several challenges hamper its productivity and sustainability. These include genetic limitations, insufficient quality feed and fodder, a largely unorganized sector, limited access to credit and insurance, inadequate healthcare facilities, and the impacts of climate change. Moreover, low productivity, poor quality standards, and limited technological adoption further exacerbate the situation.

To overcome these challenges and boost productivity, several strategies can be implemented. Improving germplasm through selective breeding and advanced reproductive technologies is crucial. Enhancing nutrition with better feed resources and precision feeding practices will directly impact animal health and milk production. Effective health management through vaccination programs, biosecurity measures, and regular health monitoring is essential. Addressing environmental management issues by providing comfortable housing and implementing cooling measures will help mitigate the effects of climate change. Also, Indian government has implemented various stratagies to promote the livestock sector and improve the productivity of dairy animals.

By addressing all these challenges with comprehensive and targeted mitigation strategies, India can significantly improve its dairy sector’s productivity, ensuring better livelihoods for millions of dairy farmers and contributing to the country’s food security.

References:

1. Dudhatra, G. B., & Jani, R. G. (2013). Nutritional management of dairy animals for enhancing milk production under various physiological stages. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, 1(4), 47-53.
2. Yadav, H., & Kundu, S. S. (2018). Health management practices in dairy animals: A review. Indian Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Biotechnology, 14(2), 7-15.
3. Kumar, S., Gupta, A., & Verma, A. K. (2020). Strategies to enhance reproductive efficiency in dairy animals: A review. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, 90(5), 621-630.
4. Sahu, R. K., & Pandey, R. S. (2017). Climate change impacts on dairy production: Adaptation and mitigation strategies. Current Science, 113(9), 1722-1730.
5. National Dairy Development Board. (n.d.). National Dairy Plan Phase-I. https://www.nddb.coop/services/national-dairy-plan-phase-i
6. Rashtriya Gokul Mission. (n.d.). Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying. https://dadf.gov.in/division/rashtriya-gokul-mission
7. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries-DADF (2019). DADF annual report 2018-19. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India. http://dadf.gov.in/sites/default/filess/Annual%20Report.pdf
8. https://www.igfri.res.in/cms/Publication/Annual%20Reports/Annual%20Report%202019.pdf

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