Importance of Livestock in Indian Economy

by-Mohit Bharadwaj¹, B.C Mandal² and Anshu Rahal³

¹Research Scholar, ² Professor and  ³Associate Professor Department of Animal Nutrition, GBPUA&T, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) India

Corresponding author Email-bharadwajmohit1@gmail.com

Introduction

India is an agricultural country with about 65 to 70% of the full population having agriculture and husbandry if livestock is of various importance in India’s economy. Livestock plays a vital role within the Indian economy. About 20.5 million people depend upon livestock for his or her livelihood. Livestock contributed 16% to the income of small rural households, while the typical for all rural households was 14%. Livestock provides livelihood to two-thirds of the agricultural community. It also provides employment to about 8.8% of the population in India. India has vast livestock resources. The livestock sector contributes 4.11% of the gross domestic product and 25.6% of the full agricultural GDP. India has the most important buffalo population within the world, with the most important livestock within the world also in India at 535.78 million. the most important number of cows within the country is 192.49 million, buffalo is 109.85 million, goats have a population of 148.88 million. And sheep is 74.26 lakhs. it’s also the second largest aquaculture country within the world’s largest poultry market. And fifth within the population of duck and chicken is 851.81 million, tenth within the world camel population – 2.5 lakh, while within the country, camel is that the highest in Rajasthan and therefore the state’s raika is protected by it.

LIVESTOCK POPULATION (2012 -2019)

Source:- APEDA & BAHS 2019 – Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India.

 Importance of livestock in human life

1. Food: Livestock provides foods like milk, meat and eggs for human consumption. India is that the most wanted milk producer within the world. it’s producing about 176.34 million tonnes of milk in one year (2017-18). Likewise it’s producing about 95.22 billion eggs, 7.70 million tonnes of meat in an exceedingly year. Livestock sector production was valued at Rs 9,17,910 crore at current prices during 2016-17, which is about 31.25% of the worth of production from agriculture and allied sector. the worth of livestock production at constant prices was about 31.11% of the worth of production from total agriculture and allied sector. the full fish production in India was estimated to be 12.61 million metric tons during the fiscal year 2017-18.
2. Fiber and Hides(Skins): Livestock also contributes to the assembly of wool, hair, hides and pellets. Leather is that the most significant product with a large export potential and is employed for various purposes reception and abroad. India has been producing around 41.5 million kg of wool since 2017-18.
3. Agricultural use: The bull is named the backbone of Indian agriculture. Despite much progress within the use of mechanical power in Indian agricultural operations, Indian farmers, especially in rural areas, still depend upon bullock carts for various agricultural operations like bringing fodder and straw from animals to the farm. Bullock carts are saving plenty on fuel which is a vital input for mechanical power like tractors, combine harvesters etc. Animals like camels, horses, donkeys, mules, etc., are extensively accustomed transport goods to varied parts of the country. apart from the bull. In mountainous areas goods like mules and ponies function the sole options for transportation. Similarly, the military has got to depend upon these animals for transporting various goods in high altitude areas.
4. Dung and other animal wastes: Dung and other animal wastes function excellent farm yard manure and are worth several crores of rupees. except for this it’s also used as fuel (bio gas, scrap cake), and poor man’s cement (cow dung) for construction.
5. Storage: Considered a ‘moving bank’ due to their ability to maneuver livestock away during emergencies. They function capital and within the cases of landless agricultural laborers again and again it’s the sole capital resource that they need. Livestock works as an asset and just in case of emergency they function a guarantee to require loans from local sources like money lenders in villages.
6. Weed control: Livestock also are used as biological control of brushes, plants and weeds.
7. Cultural: Provides protection to livestock owners and particularly adds to their self-esteem after they own prized animals like pedigrade bulls, dogs and high yielding cows / buffalo etc.
8. Sports / Entertainment: People also use animals like mare, rams, bullock cock, chicken etc. for competition and sports. Despite the ban on these animal competitions, cock fights, ram fights and bull fights, bull races (jali kattu) are quite common during the festive season.

Importance of Livestock in Farmer’s Economy

Livestock plays a very important role within the economy of farmers. Farmers in India maintain a husbandry system i.e. a mixture of crop and livestock where the assembly of one enterprise becomes the input of another enterprise, thereby realizing resource efficiency. Cattlemen serve farmers in various ways.

 Income: Livestock could be a source of supportive income for several families in India, particularly the resource poor who maintain some heads of animals. like cow and buffalo will still provide regular income to cattlemen through the sale of milk and milk-based foods like ghee, curd, buttermilk, cheese, mawa, etc. Animals like sheep and goats give more benefits from time to time at lower expenses like, for the treatment of sick people, milk is incredibly expensive at the time of need, and goat is additionally called poor cow, so it’s the education of youngsters, of homes. Acts as a source of income during emergencies like repair of houses etc. Animals also function as moving banks and property that provide economic protection to owners.

Empolyment: An outsized number of individuals in India are less literate and unskilled and rely on agriculture for his or her livelihood. But thanks to being seasonal in nature, maximum 180 days of employment are available in a very year. Landless and low land people rely on livestock to use their labor during lean agricultural seasons. additionally, livestock products like animal milk, meat, and eggs are a very important source of animal protein for the household tax members of livestock. The per capita availability of milk is about 394 grams per day; Eggs are 79 p.a. during 2019-20.

Social Security: Animals provide social insurance to owners per their status in society. Families especially the landless who keep their livestock better than those that don’t. it’s a awfully common custom in various parts of the country to donate animals during marriage. Raising animals could be a part of Indian culture. Animals are utilized in various social religious festivals. And worshiping goat on Eid and sacrificing it’s also a custom and is most ordinarily used for eating chicken. many homeowners are keen on their animals.

Farming: Bulls are the backbone of Indian agriculture. Farmers especially rely on bulls for plowing, carting and transporting both marginal and little inputs and outputs.

Dung: In rural areas, dung is employed for several purposes including fuel (dung cakes), fertilizer (composting fields, and plastering) material (poor man’s cement).

Please follow and like us: