Low Productivity of India Dairy Animals: Challenges and Mitigation
* Vikram Chandu V
Undergraduate student, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education & Research. Pondicherry University, U.T of Pondicherry, India.
*Corresponding author Email ID: vikramchanduvemulapalli00@gmail.com.
Introduction
Indian dairy industry is well established and vast. India holds the rank of highest milk production in the world with about 230.6 million tons in the year 2022-23 (source: NDDB) and largest in bovine population about 303.76 million (20th livestock census – 2019), top in cattle and buffalo population (about 57% of world total population). Though India holds highest in most of the categories of dairy sector, per animal milk production is very low compared to other countries (like USA, competes with us dairy sector).
Factors affecting milk productivity in Indian dairy animals
Species – there is individual species variation regarding milk production, which is directly influenced by genes, climate, locality, nutrition etc. Species distribution and its population shows heavy variation in India compared to other countries due to geographic and cultural diversity.
Breeds – Breeds of India shows great variation in their milk production traits, broadly they are divided as milch breeds with great milk production, dual purpose breeds with draught work and milk production, such animals compared to milch animals won’t produce that much, draught breeds that are reared for work, have low milk production. Their distribution highly varies from region to region. Milch breeds are mostly restricted to few parts of India, majority dairy animals are non-descript animals and draught breeds, they are poor milk producers (regarding quantity).
Nutrition – due to rapid development of country, there is steep fall in the freely available grazing areas and free ranging areas, also availability of good quality feed and fodder is declining, our country holds highest rank of human population. There is direct competition for feed grains, so mostly dairy animals are fed with low quality feed stuffs which in turn reduce the productivity directly by imbalance in requirements.
Climate – Climate change is true and it’s happening, it will show direct and indirect effects on animal productivity. Directly by climate stress (heat stress) and indirectly by changing the disease patterns especially arthropod borne diseases, unusual climate changes like heat waves, storms, floods in unusual seasons which can cause scarcity of feed.
Geographical pattern of India – Indian subcontinent has different climatic zones which influences the area topography and also on trait expression in animals. Not every animal that was brought from different area shows its full productivity in new places, climate and availability of feeds and fodder also influences it. Animals in their natural geographical area with good nutrition shows good production like Jersey breed (which may not show that much milk production in Indian conditions)
Body condition – Well conditioned animals has better milk production compared to poor conditioned animals.
Diseases in animals – They show severe negative impact on animals, once they recovered also they may not produce milk to the previous extent like in FMD, mastitis etc. and Cross breeding in India increased the incidence of tick borne diseases and mastitis, many cross bred animals were suffering from them.
Disease patterns and epidemiology are determined by multiple factors like climate, nutrition etc. Not only microbial diseases, but also production and deficiency diseases. They are also very common due to improper feeding, most of the animals are not getting balanced ration and all its daily requirements.
Management – They are cumulative faults that can happen in farm. Like poor management condition, low quality and unscientific feeding, no awareness on record keeping, unhygienic maintenance of farm animals, poor reproductive health management, No implementation of disease and tick control strategies etc. In small towns, as animals are left in roads, they may eventually start garbage eating like plastic, it is very dangerous and degrades the condition of slowly and progressive.
Challenges
Breed susceptibility and diseases – To counter the low milk productivity in dairy animals, introduction of exotic breeds with a good amount of milk production can be done (and from a few decades this is undergoing) but introduction of exotic breeds has been led to dilution and loss of native gene pool of Indian breeds, their heat tolerance and disease resistance and many of the desi breeds are on verge of extinction. Compared to native breeds, exotics are less heat tolerant, low disease resistance especially noticed in cattle like mastitis.
Nutrition – as the Indian subcontinent has great geographical variations, not all the quality fodder grows in every place of India (Like Berseem) especially feeds and fodders on which adequate scientific research to be done. Many of the feeds which are available in nearby localities, their effect on animal health is still unknown especially tree fodders and scarcity fodders which their availability is restricted to few places of India.
Continuous global climatic change – India is one of the main greenhouse gas producers especially methane, Indian domesticated ruminants were one of the main reasons for it. There is lot of international pressure on us, to decrease total methane emission, so increasing the population of dairy animals to further push up the milk productivity is not a good option regarding this.
Climate change shows its direct effect on fodder production, disease patterns in animals and plants etc. Overcoming climate change is not going to happen all of a sudden, so crops and livestock should be selected based on how they tolerate climate change and retain their productivity. Research on this field is still in initial stages.
Illiteracy and technology barrier in farm level.
Management issues – In India, there are only few large and modernized farms but mostly the farmers are rearing animals in minimum numbers, by small and marginal farmers on the back yard of house or free area in household localities. They rear the animals in traditional way without updating it and without scientific knowledge. Improper management practices can show direct effect on milk production Illiteracy and technology barrier also being a part of it, which confines the new technology introduced and infrastructure development. Most of the Indian dairy farmers maintain few animals that range from 1 to 2 up to 10, so sophisticated implementation of standards in farm may not be done because of economy of farmer.
Subclinical infections – Mainly mastitis, tick borne diseases and deficiency diseases. They may not suddenly show clinical signs but they eventually deteriorate the health of animals and their production capacity. Without knowledge of such conditions and starting of treatment in late can lead to irreversible changes in animal’s physiology especially udder and reproductive capacity. Lack of public awareness and lack of extension activities in rural areas, farmers won’t have knowledge on many basic and important things like clean milk production, herd health management. For such activities there is much need of man power to educate them and people who come forward to teach them. It is the place we are lagging.
Stress from any aspect, its detection and control is very hard but also it’s important to tackle ex// heat stress.
Prevention is always better than cure
Mitigation
It can be tackled when all problems are understood adequately and attended promptly step by step.
Main focus on
- Breeds and breeding policies
- Tackling diseases
- Management approaches
- Nutrition
- Extension activities and awareness among public
- Addressing global climate change
- One health approach
- Modernization of farming systems
Breeding policies
The government should introduce good breeding policies that welfares the dairy farmers and also they should not cause adverse changes in native gene pool. The policy makers should keep in mind in maintaining nativity to protect desi breeds and nativity. Upgrading is currently followed for Buffaloes across India by increasing the performance of non-descriptive breeds, such scientific principles should be followed for all other dairy species besides cross breeding. Cross breeding has its pros and cons, for example our Indian cattle breeds are good in many traits like heat tolerance etc. but their milk production is not superior, introduction of exotic breeds in breeding helped in increasing milk production (by hybrid vigour) but exotic breeds are not much suitable for Indian conditions especially in heat stress aspect and cross breeds are highly susceptible to many diseases. Though cross breeding approach is a good option but it should be done in controlled and systematic manner
Scientists should focus on researching the development of heat tolerant breeds, selection for genes – disease resistance, less methane gas emissions with optimum milk production without much variation across adjacent climatic zones. Anti-stress environment especially climatic stress countering is needed to let the animals to express its full genetic potential.
Herd health management – extension activities should be conducted to educate farmers regarding health care, record keeping, scientific feeding, use of technological innovations etc. which in turn slowly increase the quality of animal life so it produces milk in its full capacity.
Clean milk production should be followed – proper milking practices, shed maintenance, udder health management, dry cow therapies etc. If farmers are not aware of such things they should be educated. Countering subclinical infections and disease control, Farmers should have good knowledge on frequent health check-ups and about vaccinations, they should not have taboo especially vaccinations, continuous extension activities were needed to change the perspective regarding this.
subclinical mastitis and tick borne diseases are very important topica and clear scientific principles should be laid to counter them. Educating the owners about the farm level California mastitis test, routine blood smear examination in nearby veterinary dispensaries, integrated tick control strategies, antimicrobial resistance are very important, making the scientific data to public knowledge helps in controlling them and in turn increases productivity a lot.
Increasing the veterinary medical services, and their quality standards with experienced vets is needed and should be even available for remote areas.
Improvement of nutrition –
- Research should be done on developing fodder crops which can grow in harsh climatic conditions and produce a good quality feeds.
- Promoting practices with increases the quality of dry roughages like urea treatment of paddy straw.
- Feeding the animals with adequate quantity of minerals and vitamins will in turn increase the total milk production and prevent deficiency or production diseases like mineral lick blocks (most of the farmers are not aware of this deficiency diseases especially micro minerals)
- low cost concentrate feed mixtures that are made in the farm level using house hold and farm Ingredients should be promoted
- Researching and dissemination of scientific data should be done to the field Veterinarians, so they can promote using farm level ingredients for feeding animals
Management – It plays a key role in the well-being of the animal especially its health. Proper management is needed and stress free farm is required basic requirements – optimum floor space, well and hygienic maintenance the farm, temperature and humidity control, selecting good quality grazing areas, proper milking methods and so on. each is very minute work but play key role in the management and eventually increases the returns from the farm and they should be followed strictly. Regular deworming, vaccinations and gynaecological examination should be done to each and every animal. Biosecurity protocols (even up to some extent), individual personal hygiene, quarantine and isolation protocols should be followed in farm. Hygienic maintenance of milk collection centres and proper payment can promote the dairy business among the farmers also by introducing government schemes regarding dairy business like insurances, subsides, feed supply etc. Proper channelling for the marketing of milk should be followed and it should be done even to the remote area.
One health approach is new but it is very important, integration of human, animal and environment health into one platform can help in addressing major problems that can affect all the above three (humans, animals and environment), it indirectly aids increasing the quality of animal health and production from it
Conclusion
To increase the milk productivity of the dairy animals doing one or two things may not show immediate change. It is very slow and sophisticated process, addressing and changes should be done in each and every step, from the basic corrections of flaws in the management to the maintenance of health of animals, from tackling global climatic change to clean milk practices every small thing is important. Strict rules and regulations are needed in dairy business. If all of them were addressed one by one without negligence eventually they show gradual reasonable (in production) at farm level eventually at national level. It is impossible to achieve this in few days or few months, it will take years of hard work from different fields and their cooperation is very much needed from veterinarian to extension officers, from policymakers to farmers they should come together and co-work for it.
