LOW PRODUCTIVITY OF INDIAN DAIRY ANIMALS: CHALLENGES & MITIGATION STRATERGIES

Dr.I.Suresh Kumar Reddy, SMS(AH), KVK, Utukur

Livestock farming is an integral part of agriculture and has the potential to improve the economic condition of marginal and small farmers, playing an extensive part in the socioeconomic growth of the rural household. India’s productivity per animal is very low due to various reasons such as neglected management, shortage of feed and fodder, lack of guidance to farmers and limited accessibility of livestock extension services.

CHALLENGES

Major Constraints which cause a decrease in milk production are

Breeding challenges

Research shows, that 64% of farmers who use artificial insemination have found that crossbreed and exotic cattle frequently suffer from repeat breeding due to low conception rates. As a result, the loss of one calf and longer calving intervals have a negative effect on total profitability. According to a study by, there is an insufficient availability of semen production centers, and frozen semen banks. Due to this lack of infrastructure and low success rate of AIs, only 20% of adult females are being artificially inseminated.

Feeding challenges

Currently the country faces a great deficit of fodder. There is estimated to be a 35.6% deficit of green fodder, 10.95% deficit of dry fodder and 44% deficit of concentrate feed materials in India. (IGFRI Vision, 2050). Estrus cyclicity is highly dependent on nutrition, and intake of low protein adversely affects the reproduction system and disturbs estrus cyclicity. Low protein diet resulted in a prolonged post-parturient anoestrus period and increased number of services per conception. Dairy farmers are unaware of latest advancements in the field of animal nutrition, particularly in enhanced utilization of prevailing feed resources, augmentation of roughage-based diets, feeding of mineral mixture, common salt for enhancing the animal’s milk production and reproductive health.

Reproductive challenges

Silent heat detection in buffaloes is a challenge that farmers commonly face. This problem which has an adverse effect on the farms’ ability to produce one calf each year. Reproductive disorders in cattle consist of various conditions such as dystocia, retained fetal membranes, endometritis, metritis etc.

Financial and marketing challenges

Dairy Startups need to coordinate between farmers, processors, distributors, and retailers, while also maintaining appropriate cold chain infrastructure. Ensuring consistent quality of dairy products is a significant challenge. Dairy startups must comply with numerous food safety regulations and standards set by authorities like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Raising capital for expansion, technology, and infrastructure is still a significant challenge for dairy startups, as investors perceive the sector as risky or lacking in high-growth potential due to the factor mentioned earlier compared to other industries. Working with small-scale farmers and ensuring they adopt modern practices, maintain quality standards, and use technology is difficult, as they may lack resources, knowledge, or access to credit. Finally attracting and retaining skilled talent, especially in areas like food technology, supply chain management, and marketing, can be challenging for dairy startups.

MITIGATION STRATERGIES

Dairy farmer has to improve the amount of milk each animal produces, thereby reducing the amount of feed, water and space needed per liter of milk resulting in less manure production. This provides a big window for different innovation application to enhance productivity in such developing nations like India where majority dairy farms are small scale and managed on traditional practices. The various dairy farming innovaton activities needs to be adopted are

1. Breeding innovations

• Artificialinsemination

The technique is used as a rapid way to improve desired characteristics through intensive genetic selection. Advantages, such as facilitating the use of superior quality semen without the expense and risk of sire’s ownership; reduction in the risk of introducing venereal diseases into the herd have achieved with this innovative technique

• Embryotransfer technology (ETT)

Embryo transfer technology (ETT) is one of the latest tools available for the faster improvement of livestock worldwide particularly for exploiting the genetic potential of high quality females and the males simultaneously. Higher cost of technology with low conception rate might be the factors limiting its implementation.

• Sexedsemen

Adoption of sexed sorted semen is very essential for production of female calves. However, the higher cost of semen coupled with low conception rate are important factors to be considered before its use and that too in heifers or primiparous animals for better results.

• Hormonal synchronization/protocols

Different hormone protocols are being adopted for getting group calving or desired calving in a year for efficient and controlled management. Such desired calving matches with market demand and season. It is planned administration of hormones with fixed time AI for specified calving.

In addition to this, the advanced reproductive techniques such as Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Transfer (MOET), ovum pick up technique and embryo manipulation (splitting, sexing and cloning etc.)

2. Feeding innovations

Feeding of cattle with balanced diet in a phase feeding manner should be practiced by adding feed supplements such as bypass protein, fat, amino acids, mineral and vitamins in the feed. An animal’s reproductive health is highly dependent on the availability of minerals in the diet. An excess or deficiency of minerals has been shown to affect reproduction. Minerals have a beneficial role in resuming the follicular activity and improving fertility in dairy animals. Therefore, a in order to avoid the chances of reproductive failure and other reproductive disorders adequate supplementation of minerals to the animals is required. Diets containing adequate protein according to the metabolic needs of the individual animals are also to be fed as low protein intake has been shown to decrease estrus cyclicity. National Dairy Developmental Board (NDDB) has initiated Ration Balancing Programme to educate farmers on balanced feeding of dairy animals. This programme has developed software that is compatible with various electronic devices such as mobile/laptop with whose help a balanced feed ration is formulated as per the animal’s profile. (https://www.nddb.coop/information/ stats) Dry TMR has proved to be economical, has a long shelf life and is easily customizable to the animal’s metabolic needs.

3. Managemental innovations

Digital animal health tracking devices are getting attention now a days as they help farmers in tracking, monitoring and managing animal’s health, nutrition, behavior, pregnancy, milking frequency, milk production anomaly and activity level in real-time.

Detection of heat is very important aspect of management for performing timely AI with successful animal conception. Heat Detection System is heat management software which monitors the cow’s activity for the whole day, predicting heat on the basis of unrest and hyperactivity along with other features to check milk flow, conductivity for suspected mastitis. It has obvious advantage over visual heat detection which is based on observation, behavior and miss heats or false negatives leading to huge economic losses.

Innovation of robotic milking machines is useful in eliminating the pressure on physical labor and maintaining a hygienic milking process with remarkable improvement in milk production. These machines have cups with sensors that can be attached individually to cows’ teats. The sensors play important role in detecting readiness of teats for milking and also identify impurities, color and quality of milk. Milk not fitted for human consumption, is diverted to a separate container. The machines automatically clean and sanitize the teats once the task is over. Few models of low-cost, non-electric milking machines are also developed considering locality and need of dairy farms.

Surf field mastitis test is also grabbing attention in small scale farmers as it is easy to test and identify sub clinical mastitis at early stages.

4. Other activities

Routine examination of cows is essential during the pre and postpartum period, as most cows acquire reproductive problems during these periods. Strategic control measures for reproductive problems need to be formulated, including health education about the disease transmission, in order to reduce the incidence of reproductive disorders in the livestock population. Farmers should be educated appropriate farm management and animal care and on various hygienic practices that can be practiced to decrease the incidence of reproductive diseases in their farm. Cattle should be screened on a regular basis by a veterinarian for early detection and control of various diseases such as mastitis, brucellosis, and other disorders of the reproductive system that would cause a reduction in milk production. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has initiated veterinary services delivery at farmers’ doorsteps through Mobile Veterinary Units. Around 4500 MVUs have been provided to the states which would aid in providing suitable veterinary care to animals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a range of livestock services such as health care, nutrition, breeding management, pharmaceutical supply and extension services are needed in order to allow the farmer to extract the full potential from livestock.

Authors details

DR.I.SURESH KUMAR REDDY, SMS (ANIMAL HUSBANDARY), KVK, UTUKUR

KADAPA, ANDHRA PRADESH. PINCODE: 516003

Phn No: 8106749369, 7989280887

Email: sureshisukapalli4@gmail.com

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