Enhancing Dairy Animal Productivity in Northeast states of India: Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

Enhancing Dairy Animal Productivity in Northeast states of India: Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

Dr. Bhabesh Mili, Assistant Professor

Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry

College of veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry

Central Agricultural University (I)

Jalukie, Peren, Nagaland-797110

E-mail: bhabamili@gmail.com

Introduction

The Northeast (NE) states of India, encompassing eight states, represent a region rich in biodiversity and culture. The contribution of the livestock sector to the total GDP in the NER is 2.07% and 10.63% of the total agricultural GDP, against a national average of 4.11% and 25.6% of the total agricultural GDP, respectively (NEDFi, 2021). In NE states, the vast majority of the rural population residing in villages relies heavily on agriculture and allied sectors for their livelihoods. The livestock sector plays a vital role in the NE states of India, providing a prime source of livelihood for the majority of the population, particularly in rural areas.

The dairy sector is an integral component of the livestock. It plays a significant role in the household incomes of small and marginal farmers. Moreover, dairy farming has emerged as a crucial economic activity for smallholders, with nearly three-quarters of the dairy animals owned by this category of farmers. Despite this richness, the dairy sector in NE states faces multiple challenges, particularly the low productivity of dairy animals. This essay aims to discuss the factors contributing to this low productivity and propose mitigation strategies to address these challenges of dairy development in the NE states of India.

Milk Production Scenario

A total milk production trend from 2013-14 to 2022-23 for all NE states as well as all India levels is shown in Table 1. Total milk production in the NE states was 1.608 million tonnes during 2022-23, against the country’s total milk production of 230.58 million tonnes during the same period. The compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of milk in the NE states was 1.59% over the previous year (2021-22), which is also very low compared to the national average CAGR of 3.83%. Among all NE states, Tripura has registered the highest CAGR in milk production with 5.2%, followed by Meghalaya (3.51%), Assam (2.42%), and Sikkim (0.01%). The states with the highest negative growth in milk production were Nagaland with -23.20%, Manipur (-5.12%), Arunachal Pradesh (-1.03%), and Mizoram (0.45%) in 2023 compared to the previous year (BAHS,2023).

Table 1: Total milk production trends of NE states and all India level from 2013-14 to 2022-23 (figures in ‘000 Tonnes).

Figure 1: Per Capita Availability of Milk during 2022-23 (figures in gram/day).

Per-capita milk availability during 2022-23 in the NE states and at the all-India level is depicted in Figure 1. It is evident that milk availability in NE states is significantly lower compared to the all-India level (459 grams per day), as well as the recommended value by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) of 300 grams per day, except for the state of Sikkim. Among all NE states, Sikkim has the highest per capita availability of milk (BAHS, 2023). Per capita availability of milk in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura were 81, 78, 62, 77, 55, 61, 347, and 153 grams per day during 2022-23, respectively (BAHS,2023).

Challenges in Dairy Animal Productivity

1. Food habits and preferences for meat over milk among the population of the NE states.

One of the major challenges for low productivity in milk production is food habits and preference for meat over milk among people in NE states. The population in these states is predominantly non-vegetarian with a preference for meat from livestock species. Pork, the meat of pigs, is widely popular and extensively reared, especially among tribal communities, owing to its longstanding socio-cultural practices.

2. Low productivity and poor genetic potential of indigenous cattle

The NE states of India have a unique scenario in terms of dairy production, where non-descript cows and buffaloes predominantly contribute to milk production, as shown in Figure 2. However, in states such as Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya, crossbred cattle play a significant role (Figure 2). Further, the overall milk yield per dairy animal in the NE states is considerably lower than the national average (Table 2). However, exotic/crossbred cattle in Meghalaya produce about 9.04 kg/day/head, which is higher than the All-India level according to BAHS, 2023.

The entire NE states have a few numbers of recognized indigenous dairy animals. Lakshmi cattle, Luit buffalo, and Assam Hill goat from Assam; Thutho cattle and Sumi-Ne goat from Nagaland; and Siri cattle breed from Sikkim are among the registered indigenous dairy animals. The milk yield of these dairy animals from NE states is very low compared to registered milch cattle breeds in India, such as Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar, and Kankrej. For example, Lakshmi cattle yield around 1-2.5 kg of milk per day, lasting for approximately 220-275 days. Siri cattle produce approximately 2.0-6.5 kg of milk daily, with a lactation period of 200-240 days. Thutho cattle yield 0.5-1.5 kg of milk per day, with a lactation period of 150-210 days. These yields are notably lower than those of the registered milch cattle breeds in India, such as Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar, and Kankrej.

The region (especially in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Sikkim) also possesses unique bovines, such as Mithun and Yak, which are reared traditionally for meat, and their socio-cultural significance within local communities. Milk contribution is very limited from these unique bovine animals. All recognized indigenous dairy animals of the NE states are mostly dual-purpose, with a low milk yield. The unavailability of region-specific, high-yielding indigenous dairy further underscores the challenge of low milk production in the region.

 Figure 2: Species-wise milk contribution during 2022-23 (BAHS, 2023, GoI).

Table 2: Average milk yield of dairy animal per day during 2022-23 (figures in kg/day/animal).

3. Inadequate availability of feeds and fodder

The NE states of India encompass an area of 25.509 million hectares, constituting approximately 8% of the country’s total geographical area. The Brahmaputra Valley occupies approximately 30% of the land, while the remainder consists of hilly and mountainous terrain with steep slopes (Baruah et al., 2014). Over 64% of this land is covered by thick mixed deciduous and semi-evergreen forests. Geographical constraints severely limit the availability of high-quality feed ingredients in NE states. According to the Standing Committee on Agriculture (2016-2017), the estimated feed and fodder status for India in 2020 indicated deficits of 23 % in dry fodder, 32% in green fodder, and 36% in concentrated livestock feed. These figures are even more alarming in the NE states of India. The huge gap between the demand and supply of fodder is a major concern, especially in the summer months, while a shortage of concentrates is around 75 percent (Gupta, 2007).

4. Limited numbers of cold storage facilities

Milk is a perishable commodity. Milk-cold storage facilities are required for storage and transportation into value-added processing plants/facilities. The limited availability and insufficient capacity of cold storage plants, value-addition opportunities and aggravates dairy development in NE states.

5. Underdeveloped cooperative structure

In the NE states of India, cooperative milk societies are not fully functional. The number of milk cooperative societies, such as Sikkim, Assam, and Tripura, with Sikkim having 451, Assam 355, and Tripura just 100 dairy cooperative societies. The situation is even worse in other NE states where there are fewer than 100 such societies. To uplift the dairy sector in these states, it is crucial to establish more cooperative dairy societies at the village level. This would ensure that dairy farmers receive fair prices for their milk based on their quality. With better incentives, dairy farmers are motivated to increase milk production, leading to overall improvements in the dairy sector across NE states.

6. Inadequacy in livestock housing, veterinary health care services and extension mechanisms

Livestock rearing in the NE states of India still relies heavily on traditional knowledge and practices in remote locations. Also, breed improvement programs face significant challenges in the region due to low artificial insemination (AI) coverage, lack of infrastructure for doorstep AI services, and insufficient veterinary healthcare facilities. The AI coverage in Arunachal Pradesh is as low as 1%, whereas that in other NE states ranges from 10-30%, far below the national average of 30%. Inadequate veterinary hospitals pose a great risk to stockmen for animal health care and breeding. Many farmers are still confined to natural breeding practices. This practice, coupled with limited access to high-quality breeding stock, results in inbreeding and poor genetic selection, leading to low productivity.

Mitigation Strategies

Given the current challenges and opportunities, it is evident that NE states have dairy production potential. Suitable actions and strict progress monitoring could help the NE states tap into their full potential in terms of dairy development. The strategies to achieve this are as follows:

• The Animal Husbandry Department of each state government should implement specific breeding policies for upgrading and crossbreeding to improve animal productivity by using suitable germplasm. If necessary, revisit existing breeding policies for the formulation of the most suitable policies considering current scenarios, including climate changes. Additionally, the use of proven bulls for AI of existing breeds could be effective in improving indigenous animals for higher milk production.
• Strategies should be adopted to augment feed and fodder production to address the shortages of green, dry fodder, and concentrate feeds for dairy animals. This includes promoting high-yielding varieties of fodder crops, employing new agricultural technologies, and developing integrated pest management systems that can enhance feed availability in the region. Mass plantation of legumes and tree shrubs and fodder cultivation with high-yielding variety seeds ensure year-round availability of nutritious feed. Providing low-cost, high-quality concentrates throughout the year can further increase milk production. Balanced, nutritious feed is essential for maximizing animal productivity and improving production levels in the NE states (Paul and Chandel, 2010).
• There is a need to develop dairy processing and cold storage facilities for storage, and transportation into value-added milk products processing units. Dairy processing units will increase milk processing capacity, thereby providing greater access to the organized milk market for unorganized rural milk producers.
• Strengthening Veterinary Services in remote areas for timely healthcare service.
• Capacity building of farmers for silage making and other feed preservation techniques, scientific breeding and feeding, healthcare management, and entrepreneurship development.
• Encouraging private sector investments in dairy infrastructure development. Interested farmers should be given government subsidies and financial assistance programs to support them in adopting modern dairy farming practices.
• Improving road connectivity to facilitate the transportation of feed and veterinary services.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the dairy sector in NE states of India faces significant challenges,

including low productivity of dairy animals, inadequate feed and fodder availability, limited cold storage facilities, underdeveloped cooperative structures, and deficiencies in livestock housing and veterinary healthcare services. However, given its rich biodiversity, this region has immense potential for dairy production. By implementing strategic interventions such as specific breeding policies, augmentation of feed and fodder production, development of dairy processing and cold storage facilities, strengthening veterinary services, capacity building of farmers, encouraging private sector investments, and improving road connectivity, NE states can overcome these challenges and harness their full dairy production potential. With concerted efforts and targeted interventions, the dairy sector in NE states can thrive, thereby improving livelihoods, enhancing food security, and contributing to the overall socio-economic development of the region.

References

1. BAHS, 2019. Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Government of India, New Delhi.
2. BAHS, 2023. Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Government of India, New Delhi.
3. Paul D and Chandel BS, 2010. Improving Milk Yield Performance of Crossbred Cattle in North-Eastern States of India;Agricultural Economics 23: 69-75.
4. Baruah U, Bandyopadhyay S and Reza, SK. 2014. Land use planning and strategic measures in North Eastern Region of India, Agropedology 24 (2): 292-303.
5. Gupta JJ (2007). Status and technology of fodder production. In: Panwar AS, Ngachan SV, Munda GC, Das Anup (ed) Sustainable Crop Production – for Food Sufficiency in NE India. ICAR Publication, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region Barapani. pp 59-66.
6. Mandal D.K., Mohammad A., Rai S. and Ghosh M.K. (2020). Present Challenges and Future Prospect of Dairy Sector in Eastern and North Eastern India. Policy paper No. : NDRI-ERS-1/2020. ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute Ea st e rn Regiona l Station, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India.
7. NEDFi Databank Journal, Issue No-49 on livestock and poultry , 2021(https://www.nedfi.com/about-nedfi-data-bank/)

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