Enhancing Dairy Animal Productivity in the Indian Context: Strategies for Improvement
*Mokshata Gupta1 and Tanmay Mondal2
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Nutrition, C.V.Sc. & A.H., DUVASU, Mathura, U.P- 281001
2Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, GADVASU. Rampura Phul, Punjab-151103
*Corresponding Author- mokshata.gupta@upvetuniv.edu.in
India stands as the leading producer of milk globally, having the highest populations of both cows and buffaloes. The livestock sector is a cornerstone of the Indian economy, sustaining around 20.5 million livelihoods. With extensive livestock resources, this sector contributes significantly, constituting 4.11% of the gross domestic product and 25.6% of the agricultural GDP. Cattle and buffalo contribute 36% and 20.5% of the total livestock, respectively. According to the 20th livestock census, India’s cow population stands at 192.49 million, marking a 0.8% increase, while the buffalo population is 109.85 million, a 1.0% rise from the previous census. Notably, there’s been an 18.0% increase in female cattle population and a 30.2% decrease in male cattle population compared to the previous census. Similarly, the female buffalo population has risen by 8.61%, while the male buffalo population has declined by 42.35%. The total milch animals, encompassing in-milk and dry cows and buffaloes, amount to 125.34 million, reflecting a 6.0% increase from the previous census.
Dairying stands as a crucial force driving socio-economic advancement among rural communities in our nation. In terms of agricultural commodities, milk holds the second position next only to rice. India proudly leads the world as the highest milk producer, accounting for 24.64% of global production in the 2021-22. Over the past nine years, from 2014-15 to 2022-23, India’s milk production has surged by 58%, reaching 230.58 million tonnes in 2022-23. With land becoming increasingly scarce due to increasing population growth, the emphasis on enhancing milk output should prioritize boosting animal productivity rather than expanding bovine numbers. It is crucial to focus concerted efforts on empowering dairy farmers, who contribute significantly to our nation’s milk production, by equipping them with modern technologies in breeding, housing, feeding, rearing, and healthcare.
Constraints in sustainable dairy production under Indian condition
Several constraints related to sustainable dairy production are as follows:
- Adverse climatic conditions
- Socio-economic status
- Cultural background of the farmers
- Breeding management
- Shortage of quality feed/fodder
- Education and training
- Unorganized market
- Poor reproductive health
Consequently, it’s essential to strategize dairy development at individual micro-levels such as a block, village, taluka, and district. This approach not only facilitates the optimal utilization of local resources but also guarantees improved program viability and a greater cost-benefit ratio.
Productivity of farm animals- Indian Scenario
Despite being one of the highest milk-producing countries globally, India struggles to meet its local demand due to a significantly lower per capita milk production compared to other leading milk producers. The primary reason for this difference lies in the comparatively low average milk yield of Indian cattle, which stands at 987 kg/year, in contrast to countries like Denmark (6273 kg/year), France (5289 kg/year), USA (7038 kg/year), and Israel (11000 kg/year). As a result, Indian farmers face higher production costs compared to their counterparts in other countries.
Enhancing the productivity of farm animals poses a significant challenge for the Indian dairy industry. Additionally, cattle farmers encounter difficulties in maintaining vaccination and health records for their livestock. Other remarkable challenges include inefficient supply chains, traditional cattle rearing practices, greenhouse gas emissions, a shortage of quality germplasm, inadequate infrastructure and technical expertise, as well as poor conception rates following artificial insemination. Furthermore, India faces deficits in dry fodder by 11%, green fodder by 35%, and concentrates feed by 28%. Addressing these challenges is crucial for the sustainable growth of the Indian dairy sector.
Strategies to improve the productivity of dairy animals
Livestock farming constitutes a crucial aspect of agriculture, with the capacity to enhance the economic standards of marginal and poor farmers, thereby significantly contributing to the socioeconomic advancement of rural households. Enhancing the productivity of dairy animals involves implementing various strategies such as efficient water management, appropriate housing facilities, ensuring access to high-quality germplasm, and employing other relevant methodologies as follows:
- Feeding management: Insufficient understanding of the nutritional requirements for livestock feeding often leads farmers to provide diets lacking in essential protein, vitamins, and minerals. This deficiency can result in malnutrition, metabolic diseases, and various deficiencies. Additionally, competing land use limits the expansion of fodder crop cultivation, necessitating efforts to enhance crop productivity to reduce feed costs. Strategies such as vertical expansion of arable land, utilizing non-arable land for pasture, and improving seed quality can help address this challenge.
Nutritional balance significantly impacts estrus cyclicity, with low-protein diets negatively affecting reproductive health and estrus cycles. They can lead to prolonged post-parturient anoestrus periods and increased conception difficulties. Raising farmer awareness about balanced rations, optimizing feed resource utilization, improving roughage-based diet quality, and supplementing with mineral mixtures and common salt can enhance milk production and reproductive health. Exploring alternative feed sources like Azolla and hydroponic fodder production is crucial. Total mixed ration feeding is a particularly an effective method for providing necessary nutrients to dairy animals.
- Breeding management:Farmers often encounter significant challenges in case of breeding animals, particularly with issues related to infertility. Repeat breeding, a common problem, can significantly reduce dairy farmer profits due to increased calving intervals. These intervals necessitate additional expenses for feeding, treatment, and breeding. To address these challenges, it’s crucial to ensure an adequate availability of semen production centers and frozen semen banks. Additionally, integrating artificial intelligence into breeding programs can help monitor and track livestock progress more efficiently. Conservation programs aimed at preserving indigenous breeds are also essential. These breeds are often better adapted to withstand extreme climatic conditions compared to exotic or crossbred animals, contributing to the resilience of the nation’s livestock population.
- Maintaining reproductive health: Regular veterinary examinations are crucial both before and after parturition, as this is when many reproductive issues arise. To effectively manage these problems, it’s important to develop targeted measures, including educating farmers about disease transmission and implementing hygienic practices to decrease the occurrence of reproductive disorders. Farmers should receive guidance on proper farm management and animal care to mitigate these risks. Additionally, routine screening of animals is necessary for early detection and management of diseases like mastitis and brucellosis, which can impact milk production. Utilizing innovative methods for heat detection can improve conception rates by ensuring animals are inseminated at the optimal time. Moreover, technologies such as sex sorting and embryo transfer can be employed to increase the production of female calves.
Conclusion
In conclusion, addressing the multifaceted challenges hindering the productivity of dairy animals in India requires a holistic approach including feeding, breeding, and reproductive health management. By empowering farmers with knowledge, technology, and infrastructure, and by indigenous breed conservation, India can enhance its milk production sustainably, ensuring socio-economic growth and food security for millions.
