ORGANIC FARMING IN LIVESTOCK & ITS MAINTENANCE
Compiled & shared by –DR RAJESH KUMAR SINGH, JAMSHEDPUR
Reference- Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan
Livestock sector contributes 30 percent of the total income from agriculture in the country. Annual growth rate in livestock sector is more than four times in agriculture. Analysis of the trends over the last two decades indicates that the growth in poultry and dairy sectors has exceeded the growth in cereal production. This may be due to rapid urbanization, population growth, rising levels of income and falling prices of livestock products. There are certain indications, which suggest that the demand led livestock growth is expected to continue and by 2020 more than 60 percent of meat and 50 percent of milk will be produced in the developing countries.
Even though India is the largest milk producing country in the world. Productivity per animal is only less than 50 % of the world average. This is mainly due to poor level of nutrition and low genetic potential for milk production and health care. This clearly indicates that conventional farming system is still prevalent in the country.
Increased awareness on deleterious effects of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and intensive livestock farming has led to organic farming as an alternative to conventional farming. Organic farming is one of the potential agricultural technological systems to provide benefits in terms of environmental protection, conversion of non-renewable resources, improved food quality and reorientation of agriculture towards areas of market demand. In recent years organic products have gained a niche position in global food market. It has become an exciting and dynamic sector of food industry. Sales of organic foods are growing worldwide especially with the consumer resistance to genetically modified organisms, intensive livestock farming, and contagious & zoonotic diseases. In recent years livestock sector is growing through the phase of organic farming in most of the developing countries.
Global organic production has increased 20 percent annually and expected to reach 80 billion US dollars in 2008. Recent estimates revealed that around 2.5 lakh organic livestock farms covering about 17-18 million hectare are there in the world. Annual growth rate of more than 25 % is recorded in European union, USA, Japan, Australia and china. India could garner a major share of this rapidly growing international market for organic products by making use of its strength in livestock sector.
Organic farming has been evolved as the most widely recognized sustainable farming system. It was evolved as an alternative to chemical agriculture. In 1940’s largely in response to the publications of J. I. Rodale (USA), Lady Eve Balfour (England) and Sir Albert Howard (India). In 1980 USDA defined organic farming as a production system, which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compound fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, and livestock feed additives. To the maximum extent feasible, organic farming systems rely upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off farm organic wastes, mechanical cultivation and biological pest control system. An organic agriculture is an environmentally and socially sensitive food supply system. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of soil, plants, animals and people (FAO). The key interrelated principles in organic farming are under mixed farming, crop rotations and organic cycle optimization.
Some of the organic production systems prevalent in India are Biodynamic Krishi, Rishi Krishi, Panchagavya Krishi and Agnihotra Krishi.
Biodynamic Krishi is based on systematic and synergistic harnessing of energies from cosmos, earth, planet and cow. It is a holistic system wherein individual farm is considered as a unit. It is a farming system approach in which agriculture including horticulture, livestock, forestry, etc is addressed as a single component. Major emphasis is given to improve humus content in the soil, through incorporation of enriched compost, cow dung, etc. In the Rishi Krishi, which is practiced in Maharashtra, Madhyapradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are using Angara and Amrit Pani. Angara is rhisosphere soil of banyan tree (Ficus bengalensis). It has lot of earthworms and microbes. AmritPani is prepared by mixing 10 Kg cow dung, 250g ghee and 500g honey. All ingredients are mixed, stirred and fermented and diluted to 200 litres of water. This is used for treating soil and seeds.
In Panchagavya krishi five products from cow are used. Slurry (4kg), cow dung (1kg), urine (10litres), curd (2litres) and ghee (1kg). It is suitably mixed along with sugar cane juice, tender coconut water, ripe banana and toddy and incubated for 30-40 days and stirred daily. 3percent solution is used to treat seeds and seedlings.
Agnihotra Krishi or Homa therapy is practiced to reduce environmental pollution and improve crop production with minimum expenditure. The fire is prepared in small copper vessels with dried cow dung cakes, brown rice smeared with cow ghee is offered with specific mantras. It is effective in improving animal health and milk production.
Organic agriculture means a process of developing a viable and sustainable agro-ecosystem. The time between the start of organic management and certification of crops or livestock is known as the conversion period. The whole farm including livestock should be converted according to the standards over a period of three years.
Recommendations-for a sustainable agro-ecosystem to function optimally, diversity in crop production and animal husbandry must be integrated. Conversion may be accomplished over a period of time. The totality of animal husbandry should be converted in to organic management. The plan for conversion should be clearly planned.
The certification programme should set standards for how different farming systems can be clearly separated in production as well as in documentation and the standards should determine how to prevent a mix up of input factors and products.
Standards- the standards requirements shall be met during the conversion period. If the whole farm is not converted, the certification programme shall ensure that organic and conventional parts of the farm are separated and inspectable.
Before milk, meat, egg and value added products from a farm could be certified as organic, inspection shall have been carried out during the conversion period. The start of the conversion period may be calculated from the date of application to the certification programme or from the date of last application of unapproved farm inputs provided it can demonstrate that standard requirements have been met from that date of implementation.
Simultaneous production of conventional, in conversion and or organic crops or animal products that cannot be clearly distinguished from each other is not allowed.
To ensure a clear separation between organic and conventional production, the certification programme shall inspect the whole production system, where appropriate.
A full conversion period is not required where de facto full standards requirements have been met for several years and where this can be verified through several means and sources. In such cases inspection shall be carried out with a reasonable time interval before the first harvest.
Livestock sector- management
Housing-
6sq.m per dairy cow
10 sq.m per breeding bull
1.5sq.m per young stock up to 100kg
2.5 sq.m per young stock up to 200kg
5 Sq.m per young stock beyond 350kg.
Walking space-
Breeding bull 30sq.m
Young stock up to 350Kg 3Sq.m
Maximum number of animals
Dairy cows 1.8 per Hectare
Young stock Up to one year 10 birds/sq.m
Turkeys 2 birds per sq. m
Ducks 10 birds per sq.m
Geese 2 birds per sq.m
Animals should be allowed to conduct their basic behavioral needs.
All management techniques, including those where production levels and speed of growth should be concerned, for the good health and welfare of animals.
Standards-
Sufficient free movement, Ventilation, Protection against climatic variation, enough floor space, Access to open air/grazing, Bedding with natural materials, Adlibitum water and feed according to needs and Facilities for behavioral expression according to biological and ethological needs.
Exceptions
Standards, which affect animal welfare measures
Poultry and rabbits should not be kept in cages
Herd animals should not be kept individually
Sick animals can be separated.
Conversion period-Standards
Animal products may be sold as product of organic agriculture only after the farm or relevant part of it has been under conversion for at least 12 months and provided the organic animal production standards have been met for the appropriate time.
The certification programme shall specify the length of time for which the animal production standards shall have been met. With regard to dairy and layers this period shall not be less than 30 days.
Animals present on the farm at the time of conversion may be sold for organic meat when organic standards have been met for 12 months.
Brought in animals-
When organic livestock is not available the certification programme shall allow brought in conventional animals according to the following age group.
2-day-old chicken for meat production
18-week-old hen for egg production
2 weeks old for any other poultry
Piglets up to 6 weeks
Calves up t o 4 weeks old, which have received colostrum.
Certification programmes shall set time limits not exceeding 5 years for implementation of certified organic animals from conception for each type of animal.
Breeding stock may be brought from conventional farms with a yearly maximum of 10% of the adult animals of the same species on the farm.
Artificial insemination is allowed
Hormonal therapy and use of genetically engineered species or breeds are not allowed.
Mutilations-
Allow castrations, tail docking of lambs, dehorning, etc
Nutrition-
Fed 100% organically grown feed only. It should be in accordance with the natural feeding behavior.
Coloring agents should not be used in feeds.
Prevailing 50% of the fee shall come from farm unit itself. It can be modified according to Local conditions.
Dry matter intake- Ruminants-15%
Non Ruminants-20%
Within 5 years it will be reduced to 10% and 15% respectively.
Following products are not allowed-
Growth promoters or stimulants, Synthetic appetizers, Preservatives.Artificial coloring agents, Urea, Farm animal by-products, Dropping or dung, Feed subjected to solvent extraction, Pure amino acids and Genetically engineered organisms or products.
Vitamins, trace elements and supplements from natural origin can be used. All ruminants shall have daily access to roughage
Veterinary medicine-
Herbal, homeopathy, ayurvedic, unani medicines and acupuncture can be used.
Conventional veterinary medicines will not be used. If used withholding period will be double the legal period.
Synthetic growth promoters, hormone, antibiotics, etc will not be used. Vaccinations can be used when the particular contagious disease is a problem.
Transport and slaughter should not lead to stress. Animals should be watered during transportation. Moreover they need enough resting time. Contact by eye, ear or smell of animal with dead animals or animals in killing process should be prevented. Animal should be stunned before being bled to death. A person should look after the well being of the animals. No tranquilizers should be given. Journey time to slaughterhouse shall not exceed 8 hours. Suitable mode of transportation should be used.
Food products need controlled atmosphere, cooling, freezing, drying and humidity regulating systems. It should not be transported along with non-organic products.
For cleaning and disinfection-
Sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide, water and steam, formaldehyde, organic acids, natural plant extracts, hydrogen peroxide, sodium carbonate, potassium and sodium soap can be used.
Accreditated inspection and certification agencies-
Association for promotion of organic farming, Bangalore
Bioinspecta, Switzerland
Ecocert international, Germany
Indian organic certification agency-INDOCERT, Aluva, Kochi
SGS India Pvt ltd, Gurgaon
Skal international, Netherlands- Bangalore
Naturland, Germany-Gurgaon
LACON-GMBH, Germany –Aluva, Kochi, Kerala
Low productivity, emerging diseases, unavailability of land, strict quality norms in the export market and poor market support are some of the major limitations of livestock based organic farming in the country. Since the productivity is too low, in order to make the system sustainable organic livestock products need better price structure than conventional products. So our strategy should be market-oriented and need based in nature. Initially traditional livestock farms can be converted to organic on an experimental basis.
