Low productivity of Indian Dairy Animals: Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

Low productivity of Indian Dairy Animals: Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

   ¹Priyanka Kumari, ¹Pranit Mankhair and ² Pankaj Kumar Singh

¹M.V.Sc. Scholar, ²Professor & Head, Department of Animal Nutrition, Bihar Veterinary College, Bihar Animal Sciences University, Patna, India

India is the largest milk producer, contributing to a 24% share in global milk production with 221.06 million tonnes of production as of 2021-2022, which has increased by 73% from 2011-12. Dairy, the most important component of livestock sector, plays a significant role in uplifting the economic and nutritional status of rural households in India. Consumption of milk is very high in India. Milk and dairy products are considered as a substantial source of protein, calcium, and other essential nutrients, making them an important part of the Indian diet, especially for vegetarians.  While India no. one in milk production and livestock population still faces challenges ruminant productivity particularly in cattle. The average annual productivity of Indian cattle was 1177 kg per animal in 2019-2020, compared to the global average of 2699 kg. The Milk productivity in India is low due to poor quality feed & fodder availability, improper infrastructure, poor healthcare, and disease management.  The top 5 milk-producing states, Rajasthan (15%), Uttar Pradesh (15%), Madhya Pradesh (9%), Gujarat (8%), and Andhra Pradesh (7%), contribute to more than 50% of the total milk production in India . The dairy farm sector is highly fragmented in India, and two cattle per farm constitute 97% of the entire dairy farms in India. One hundred or more cattle per farm are very few (0.03%) .

Challenges of the Diary sector in India

1.Shortage of feed/fodder

According to ICAR- Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI) there is deficit of 11.24, 23.4 and 28.9 percent for green fodder, dry fodder and concentrate respectively. The amount of grazing land is being drastically reduced each year as a result of industrial growth, which causes a shortage of feeds and fodder to meet demand. Dairy sector animals’ performance is hampered by the widening feed and fodder supply-demand mismatch. Additionally, providing dairy cattle with the feed of inadequate quality limits the system for animal production.

2.Non-descript and less productive animals

India has large no. of non-descript cattle and productivity per animal is very low. The significant reasons are limited availability and affordability of quality feed and  fodder,   traditional  feeding practices, lack of veterinary, limited supply of quality animals, an ineffective cattle and buffalo breeding programs.

3.Primitive farming practices

The Indian dairy farming system is still at a primitive stage lacking commercial outlook and focus on critical parameters like lactation yields, inter-calving interval period and calf weight.

 4.Production Inefficiency

Inadequate farm management, Inadequate access to finances, lack of affordable technology, and access to information led to low production efficiency in India.

5.Lack of medical facility and health centres

According to a report by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), there is a shortage of around 55,000 veterinarians in the country. The report also highlights the inadequate infrastructure, with only 31% of veterinary hospitals and dispensaries having required facilities for treating animals.

Veterinary health care centres are located in places that are far off and difficult to access. There is lesser number of veterinary institutions in proportion to the cattle population, leading to inadequate health services. Irregularity in vaccination schedules and deworming programmes lead to heavy mortality in calves.

6.Education and training

Most of the rural people in India are illiterate. They have no any idea about scientific feeding. That’s why production becomes down. Education and training for all dairy sector employees becomes essential to develop a sense of ownership , and to inculcate proper knowledge of best practices.

7. Hygiene

Many cattle owners do not provide proper shelters to their cattle. Due to adverse climatic condition production becomes down. Cattle shed and milkings yards are unhygienic, giving rise to mastitis

8. Breeding system

Late maturity in the majority of Indian dairy cattle breeds is a very common problem. Cattle owner do not have proper and effective mechanism of heat detection mechanism for heat symptoms during the estrous cycle.

9. Marketing and pricing

Dairy farmers continue to get unremunerative prices for milk production. Due to adoption of cross breeding programs with Holstine Friesian breed, the fat content of a cross breed cow’s milk is on decline. Because of this, lower prices are offered, since milk price is estimated on the fat and solid not fat content of the milk.

10.Low dairy penetration and high cost of milk handling and distribution

In India, dairy penetration continues to be at low levels. Milk is mainly collected by private players and sold to private dairies or other members of the distribution channel. Milk passes through the multiple levels, thereby increasing the final retail price.

11.Safety and Quality issues

India faces quality issues due to contaminated water, milk adulteration, use of pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and veterinary drugs. Consumer preferences are changing nowadays. After Covid-19, consumers have become more health-conscious and are inclined towards a healthy lifestyle. These preferences drive the dairy industry, creating an opportunity for innovative products. Some of the significant changes in consumer preferences dairy industry are:

• Health concerns
• Consumer awareness
• More focus on animal well-being
• Sustainable sourcing
• Veganism
• Convenience

 Mitigation Strategies

To address these challenges and enhance productivity, several strategies can be considered:

1. Improved Breeding Techniques: Adoption of sex-sorted semen technology to ensure higher-quality offspring. Replacement of low-producing animals with high producers through selective breeding. Hormonal synchronization is also very much helpful to increase in milk production.
2. Artificial insemination techniqueThis technique is used as a rapid way to improve desired characteristics through intensive genetic selection.
3. Nutrition Enhancement: Balanced feed proves beneficial for sustainability as well as   profitability of the farm. Silage, method of preserving surplus green fodder, predominantly adopted on large dairy farm to increase the milk production. Use of feed supplements to improve overall health and productivity. Ensuring adequate availability of quality feed and fodder ingredients. Use of by pass protein supplies more essential amino acids at the intestinal level, which can lead to increase in milk production by 10-15%. Bypass fat supplementation has proved beneficial without any adverse effect on rumen and rise in milk recorded by 5-24.0%. Use of total mixed ration (TMR) can also help in milk production.
4. Health Management: Digital animal health tracking devices are getting attention now a days as they help farmers in tracking, monitoring and managing animal’s health, nutrition, behaviour, pregnancy milking frequency, milk production anomaly and anomaly and activity level in real- time. Judicious use of antibiotics to prevent and treat diseases. Vaccination programs to maintain herd health. The teats of all the lactating dairy animals and dry cows are dipped regularly after milking in germicidal solution. Diagnosis of mastitis at sub-clinical level and its management results in milk production rise with quality milk. Lameness management Heat detection system is heat management software which monitors the cow’s activity for whole day.
5. Market Access and Integration: Promotion of organized markets for livestock products. Encouraging public-private partnerships to enhance market linkages.
6. Integrated Farming Systems: Implementing livestock-based integrated farming systems to optimize resource utilization.
7.  Managemental innovation: Building a hygienic cow shed is another important aspect to be    considered among the many factors that lead to the success or failure of dairy farms. The direction and orientation of shed plays an important role in keeping the animals healthy and reducing laborious work.
8. Waste disposal management: Scientific disposal of excreta, other organic waste helps in prevention of zoonotic and infectious diseases.

9. Communication innovation:Information and communication technology has potential to mitigate the needs of both ends by introducing virtual platform for dairy product production and marketing. There are various mobile apps and portal like Pashu Poshan, com which can help the farmers in various way.

 Conclusion

   India, with its substantial livestock population and milk production faces challenge related to low ruminant productivity particularly in cattle. By implementing above mentioned intervention and innovations like breeding management. Nutritional management, health management, integrated farming system, communication innovation, managemental innovation etc, India can mitigate the challenges faced by its livestock sector and work towards sustainable development.

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