HOW TO INCREASE THE INCOME OF LIVESTOCK FARMERS IN INDIA
Dr Prabha Sharma MVSc Scholar Veterinary Surgery and Radiology
INTRODUCTION
Animal husbandry has been an integral component of Indian agriculture. The livestock sector is being considered as one of the most promising sectors for enhancing farmers’ income. Livestock production and agriculture are intrinsically linked, each being dependent on the other and both are crucial for overall food security. In indian economy, the livestock sector is an important sub-sector of agriculture. It acts as an engine for agricultural growth. The agriculture sector engages about 57% of the total working population and about 73% of the rural labour force. On the other hand, livestock employs 8.8% of the agricultural workforce. It contributes 16% to the income of small rural households. India’s Livestock is one of the largest in the world and contributes 4.11% of the gross domestic product and 25.6% of the full agricultural GDP. The total livestock population is 535.78 million in the country as per the 20th Livestock census report.
India is-
First in total bovine population
Second in population of cattle, goats and pigs
Third in population of sheep
Fifth in population of chicken
Eighth in duck population
Tenth in camel population in the world
2019 Livestock Statistics, GOI (Oct,2018)
It is remarkable to mention that the livestock sector has never attained a negative growth in any of the years during a span of 34 years and could be relied upon for risk mitigation and loss for the farmers in case of even worse outcomes from other sub-sectors. As many pockets/clusters in the country largely rely on this sector as one of the major sources of income, it is important to find out how the livestock incomes could be enhanced.
CHALLENGES IN THE PATH
Doubling the farmers income through livestock would require addressing challenges described below-
- Improving productivity in huge population of low-producing animals
In Spite of having vast livestock resources we are lagging behind in production. Eg. The average annual milk yield of indian cattle is only 50% of the world’s global average. Deficit of dry fodder, concentrate and green fodder also contributes to the cause. The common grazing lands too have deteriorated quantitatively and qualitatively.
- Inadequate Animal health care services
Insufficient prophylactic vaccination and deworming leads to frequent outbreaks of diseases like FMD, BQ, PPR, Brucellosis, Swine fever and Avian Influenza etc. continue to reduce the productivity. Availability of veterinary support in terms of infrastructure (for hospitals and diagnostic labs ) and technical manpower are also insufficient.
- Insufficient Livestock insurance
Unlike agriculture, where the government has started so many schemes for crop farming , no such initiative has been put up in the livestock sector. Only 6% of the animal heads are provided insurance cover.
- Lack of access to organised markets
Livestock markets are underdeveloped and pose a significant barrier to the commercialization of livestock products. Inadequate access to organised markets, involvement of middle-men and meagre profits distract farmers from investing into improved technologies and quality inputs. Organised slaughtering facilities are too inadequate.
- Insufficient funding, subsidy and bank loan
As compared to other agricultural sectors livestock receives a very less amount of total public expenditure on agriculture and allied sectors.
A WAY FORWARD
| ROADMAP TO DOUBLE LIVESTOCK FARMER’S INCOME |
- Improving productivity in a huge population of low-producing animal
Enhancing genetic merit by improving germplasm through cross breeding, upgrading and selective breeding are the most effective way for improving productivity. Providing artificial insemination facilities at root level or distribution of elite bulls can be practised in remote areas where AI facilities are unavailable. Since fodder and feed contribute 60-70% of total recurring expenditure thus economic feeding will increase the profitability. Fodder development programme along with a fodder bank should be designed in every district. Scientific validation and adopting proven indigenous technical knowledge will help in improving productivity.
2.Improving Animal health and management
Wider and effective immunization for important economic diseases and compulsory deworming programmes should be implemented. National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) is a flagship scheme launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister in September, 2019 for control of Foot & Mouth Disease and Brucellosis by vaccinating 100% cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and pig population for FMD and 100% bovine female calves of 4-8 months of age for brucellosis with the total outlay of Rs.13, 343.00 crore for five years (2019-20 to 2023-24) will play a major role for the accomplishment of this goal. Emergency transport and assistance to sick and injured animals should be provided through Animal ambulance services. A programme like the National Dairy Plan should be implemented as a National project.
- Compulsory Livestock insurance
Innovative and acceptable insurance models may be designed to evolve a suitable scheme for various species.
- Access to organised markets
Farmers are mainly concerned with the profit he gets from a particular commodity. Proper connectivity from farm to market, adequate transport facilities, avoiding informal market intermediaries will help to get easy access to the markets. In addition to that, an upward push in MSP in favour of proposed livestock products will be a practical option to achieve the objective. Better market price realization is essential. e – Pashu Haat is one such initiative which is a web portal launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, to boost dairy productivity in India by organizing the livestock market. The portal allows farmers and entrepreneurs to find information about bovine animals, buy or sell livestock, frozen semen and embryos. It also helps them to check information on feed and fodder and manage the transportation of animals once a purchase is made.
- Increasing funding, subsidy and bank loan
Ensure coordination across the livestock sector, government department agencies and private sector need to be done at national, state and district levels. Reduction in raw material cost, MSP fixation, livestock insurance could be the important steps to meet the objective. The Kisan credit card prepared by NABARD is one such scheme in the same direction.
- Implementing new practises and Technology aided innovations
Diversified and integrated farming systems like duck cum rice farming, duck cum fish farming, backyard poultry farming, promoting contract livestock and poultry farming and use of biotechnology could be incorporated. ICT based agricultural extension brings incredible opportunities and has the potential of enabling the empowerment of farming communities. Establishing an ambitious Agribusiness husbandry special livestock zones model like AMUL for milk production and Namakkal model for poultry production all over the country could help the livestock farmers to gain more profit.
- Strengthening Organic Food programme and organic livestock and poultry farming
Organic farming could be promoted to get the advantage of the market value of the livestock products.
8.Motivating farmers for quality livestock products
Strengthening value addition and processing facilities will help in increasing profitability.
9.Women livestock producer training
Livestock production activities are largely in the hands of women. Appropriate policy and institutional arrangements would facilitate availing credit, insurance and other inputs and marketing services.Training to women would reduce drudgery to women and improve animal productivity and enhance their economic returns.
CONCLUSION
Genetic improvement of poor yielding livestock through cross breeding, upgrading and selective breeding to maximise their production along with local adaptability, economic feeding practises, proper health care and management will lead to optimization of production. Market development, product processing, packaging, value addition, cold storage facilities will help to get the required profit of the concerned product. Adopting diversified and integrated farming, repetition of AMUL cooperative model for milk production and Namakkal model for poultry production, promoting organic farming with increasing funding, subsidy and easy availability of bank loans for livestock farming are the key ways to double the farmers income. In winter’s chill or the summer heat a farmer works, so the world can eat. Farmer is not the labour or the poor among the poorest, he is the ‘ANANDATA’ in the real sense. Farmers needed to transform into entrepreneurs to double the income adopting innovative approaches and technology.
