LOW PRODUCTIVITY OF INDIAN DAIRY ANIMALS: CHALLENGES AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Dr. R. UMA RANI, Ph.D.,
Professor,
TANUVAS, Veterinary University Training and Diagnostic Centre,
Madurai – 625 005, Tamil Nadu.
Introduction
India, acclaimed as one of the world’s leading milk-producing nations, relies heavily on its dairy sector to drive agricultural prosperity. As both the largest producer and consumer of milk globally, India’s dairy industry plays a central role in sustaining the livelihoods of over two-thirds of its rural populace, contributing to employment for approximately 8.8% of the population and bolstering nutritional standards and income levels. Despite its substantial contributions, India’s dairy sector faces challenges, notably in productivity compared to international standards. With nearly 300 million cattle, India produced a staggering 198.4 million tonnes of milk in 2019–20. While pivotal for nutritional security, livelihoods, and sustainable economic development, the productivity of Indian dairy animals remains below par compared to countries like Israel and the USA, where milk production per animal surpasses Indian levels by tenfold. Currently, India’s milk production growth rate stands at a modest 6.62%, falling short of the targeted 341 million tonnes by 2033-34. Achieving this target necessitates a growth rate of 9.2-15%, highlighting the potential for lucrative commercial dairy farming, offering returns on investment ranging from 20-30% or more. Any decline in milk production not only impacts individual farmers’ economic welfare but also hampers the country’s overall economic growth. Enhancing dairy animal productivity requires a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing milk production.
CHALLENGES
Genetic Limitations:
Low genetic potential is identified as a primary factor contributing to the lower productivity of Indian dairy cattle. Though the renowned indigenous breeds such as Gir, Sahiwal, and Red Sindhi exhibit remarkable resilience and adaptability to local environmental conditions their milk yields often fall short compared to high-yielding exotic breeds like the Holstein-Friesian.However, two key issues hinder their efficiency: firstly, these breeds often require an extended period to reach maturity, and secondly, they tend to have longer calving intervals, both of which impact their overall performance. The average milk yield per animal among Indian indigenous cattle is less than 5 kilograms, while crossbred cattle yield between 5 to 10 kilograms per animal, and buffalo produce between 4 to 7 kilograms per animal (Gayathri et al., 2023). The lack of concerted efforts to enhance the genetic potential of indigenous breeds through selective breeding and crossbreeding initiatives further widens this productivity gap. Several breeding challenges exacerbate the productivity gap, including the unavailability of indigenous bulls with high genetic merit, inadequate artificial insemination (AI) services, and irregular availability of semen at AI centers (Bhatele, 2016).
Nutritional Deficiency:
Nutritional deficiency emerges as a significant hurdle hindering the productivity of Indian dairy animals. Shortages in feed and fodder, driven by urbanization and industrial development, impose constraints on overall milk yield, exacerbating issues of poor-quality forage and affordability for small-scale farmers. The declining availability of grazing land hampers dairy animals’ performance, perpetuating the feed and fodder supply-demand mismatch (Gayathri et al., 2023). This imbalance between supply and demand escalates fodder prices, resulting in inadequate feeding practices. Consequently, both productive and unproductive dairy animals compete for the limited available resources, further straining the situation and the farmers struggle to access quality feed resources, relying instead on substandard fodder such as crop residues leads to mineral deficiency disorders due to insufficient mineral supplementation. The widening gap between feed and fodder supply and demand significantly impacts the performance of dairy animals and the suboptimal nutrition directly translates into reduced milk production and overall productivity (Avijit, and Avijan 2020).
Environment:
The milk yield of a cow hinges significantly on its environment, particularly its level of comfort. The cows in comfortable environment yield more milk, while those experiencing discomfort are less productive. Among environmental factors, thermal stress emerges as the primary factor affecting dairy animals, directly impacting milk yield.Heat stress significantly affects dairy production, with the Temperature Humidity Index (THI) serving as a common metric to assess its severity (Kant et al., 2015).
. However, while THI provides valuable insights, it fails to capture the physiological changes cows undergo during heat stress. Integrating THI with physiological markers such as body temperature offers a more comprehensive approach to evaluating heat stress.mElevated ambient temperatures elevate heat production, leading to a corresponding increase in the cow’s body temperature. However, exceeding normal body temperature ranges adversely affects feed intake and heat exchange capacity, ultimately resulting in lower milk production (Liu et al., 2019).
Managemental practices:
Effective dairy farming involves several management processes that impact milk production, including feeding, breeding, and general animal management. Many cattle owners fail to provide proper shelters for their cattle, exposing them to extreme weather and other natural elements. As a result, cattle sheds and milking yards often remain unhygienic, leading to the development of mastitis. This condition, characterized by inflammation of the udder tissue or mammary glands due to physical trauma or microorganism infections, is the most common disease in dairy cattle. Neglecting to protect cattle from harsh weather conditions further exacerbates these issues, making it crucial for cattle owners to prioritize proper shelter and hygiene in their management practices.
Factors affecting milk production are: Age at first calving, season of calving, stage of lactation, number of lactations, age of the animal, species and breed of the animal, length of dry period, parity, pregnancy status, environmental temperature and humidity, feed and water availability, milking intervals and frequency, tress and hormonal conditions, health issues, particularly mastitis and antibiotic use. Poor management practices, such as improper milking techniques, can reduce milk yield. Cows are typically milked at 12-hour intervals twice a day. Unequal milking intervals or different handlers can lower milk yield, especially in high-producing cows. Incomplete milking can also lead to permanent reductions in yield and increase the risk of mastitis, further decreasing milk production.
Healthcare:
The dairy sector faces significant healthcare challenges due to poor infrastructure and limited access to veterinary services. A major issue in India is the shortage of veterinarians and quality veterinary services. Veterinary health care centers are often located in remote, difficult-to-access areas, with a disproportionate number of veterinary institutions relative to the cattle population further complicates access to necessary treatments resulting in excessive mortality due to inadequate health services for these animals. Irregular vaccination schedules and deworming programs lead to high mortality rates in calves. The lack of adequate immunity among cattle makes them more susceptible to diseases.
Additionally, a lack of awareness regarding preventive healthcare measures exacerbates the situation. Subpar hygiene standards in cattle shelters and milking yards contribute to the prevalence of mastitis and poor milk quality, severely impeding productivity and posing a formidable hurdle for dairy farmers.
Reproductive Management:
Inefficient reproductive management practices plague Indian dairy farming, characterized by late maturity in cattle, delayed breeding, inadequate heat detection mechanisms, diseases causing abortion and mineral, hormonal and vitamin deficiencies lead to fertility problems impacting calving intervals and fertility rates, and subpar conception rates. The resultant prolonged calving intervals contribute to reduced milk production efficiency, accentuating the productivity woes faced by dairy farmers nationwide (Rohit, and Manish, 2021).
Lack of knowledge:
The lack of comprehensive education and training programs is a significant barrier to the adoption of best practices among dairy sector employees, which in turn hinders overall efficiency and productivity. Proper education and training are crucial for equipping employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to implement advanced techniques and technologies in dairy farming. Without these programs, employees may continue using outdated or inefficient methods, leading to suboptimal milk production, poor animal health, and increased operational costs. Additionally, inadequate training can result in a lack of awareness about regulatory compliance, animal welfare standards, and environmental sustainability practices, further impacting the sector’s performance and reputation.
MITIGATION STRATEGIES
Genetic Improvement
The implementation of structured breeding programs emerges as a pivotal strategy to augment the genetic potential of indigenous cattle breeds. This entails a concerted focus on selective breeding and crossbreeding initiatives, aimed at enhancing milk yields and overall productivity. Leveraging advanced reproductive technologies such as artificial insemination (AI) and embryo transfer can further expedite genetic improvement efforts.To improve the genetic potential of dairy cattle, it is crucial to breed these animals using semen from high genetic merit bulls through AI. This technology is well-proven and globally accepted for the rapid multiplication of superior germplasm.
To implement AI across larger geographical areas and larger livestock populations, several requirements must be addressed. Developing basic infrastructure to support AI, such as facilities for producing and storing quality frozen semen from elite bulls, is essential. Additionally, skilled manpower is needed to carry out AI procedures effectively. Creating awareness among farmers about the benefits of breeding their dairy animals through AI using high genetic merit bull semen is also critical.Furthermore, providing AI services at the farmers’ doorsteps will help achieve the goal of improving the productivity of dairy animals. By focusing on these key areas, we can significantly enhance the genetic potential of indigenous cattle breeds, leading to higher milk yields and better overall productivity (Singh et al.).
Nutritional Management
Promoting optimal feeding practices assumes paramount importance in bolstering dairy animal productivity. This necessitates comprehensive farmer education on balanced diets ensuring that dairy animals receive the necessary nutrients, coupled with initiatives to enhance access to quality feed resources for optimal health and productivity. Encouraging the adoption of silage and green fodder production to provide high quality nutrient-rich feed throughout the year holds immense potential in optimizing milk production and improving overall animal health. Additionally, introducing cost-effective nutritional supplements can address specific nutritional deficiencies, leading to better growth, higher milk production, and overall improved health of the animals (Rohit, and Manish, 2021).
Effective environment:
Creating an effective environment in a dairy farm is essential for increasing milk yield. Sufficient space per animal should be provided to allow free movement as overcrowding can lead to stress and reduce milk production.To provide optimal housing and comfort to the animals, the housing facilities should have adequate ventilation to maintain optimal air quality and temperature. Installing fans, misters, or curtains can help manage heat stress, which negatively impacts milk production. Comfortable bedding with clean bedding materials such as sand, straw, or rubber mats must be provided in order to reduce stress and prevent injuries which inturn promote better health and milk yield. Consistent feeding schedule must be followed to help cows develop a regular eating pattern, which is crucial for optimal milk production. Constant access to clean, fresh water should be ensured as water intake is directly related to milk production and cows need large amounts of water to produce milk (Avijit, and Avijan 2020).
Effective managemental practices:
Dairy animals should be handled gently to minimize stress and a quiet environment should be maintained. Sudden changes in routine must be avoided.Environmental enrichment such as scratching posts or brushes may be provided to enhance cow welfare and reduce boredom and stress. Further, good milking practices are crucial. Consistent milking routine has to be followed to reduce stress and maintain regular milk production (Rohit, and Manish, 2021).Training workers on proper milking techniques to ensure complete and gentle milk extraction, reducing the risk of mastitis and other udder infections.A clean and sanitary milking environment must be followed to prevent contamination and infections.
The recommended milking time is 5-6 minutes, and cows should not be allowed to lie down for 30-40 minutes after milking to prevent pathogens from entering the open teat canal. Automated milking systems are now used to maintain consistent milking frequency. Regular foot care and hoof trimming schedules should be followed to prevent lameness as which can significantly affect milk yield.
Healthcare Interventions:
Regular health checks and vaccinations are to be ensured to prevent and control diseases. Regular monitoring of cow behavior, health, and milk production helps to address any issues quickly. Hence, early detection and treatment of illnesses are crucial for maintaining productivity.Strengthening veterinary healthcare services forms a cornerstone in mitigating healthcare challenges plaguing the dairy sector. This entails substantial investments in infrastructure expansion, coupled with extensive training programs for local veterinarians and dairy farmers. Promoting widespread vaccination programs targeted at controlling endemic diseases and parasitic infections is imperative to safeguarding the health and productivity of dairy animals. By expanding veterinary infrastructure and providing targeted training, the dairy sector can ensure better health management, disease prevention, and rapid response to health issues. Effective vaccination programs are crucial in preventing outbreaks of common diseases, thereby maintaining the overall health and productivity of the dairy herd.
Reproductive Health Programs
Implementing robust reproductive health programs is indispensable in optimizing reproductive efficiency and minimizing calving intervals. This involves the deployment of efficient estrus synchronization techniques, coupled with the organization of regular reproductive health camps to monitor fertility parameters. Regular reproductive health camps and monitoring of dairy cattle help in early detection of fertility issues, enabling timely interventions. Incentivizing timely breeding practices among dairy farmers can further bolster reproductive outcomes, thereby enhancing overall productivity (Rohit, and Manish, 2021). By focusing on reproductive health, the dairy sector can ensure more consistent and higher quality milk production, as well as healthier calves.
Education and Training Programs:
Investing in robust education and training initiatives is essential to drive innovation, improve productivity, and ensure the long-term viability of the dairy industry. Scientific education and training programs to the dairy farmers and farm personnels on good managemental practices is an essential to overcome the challenges faced by the dairy sector, drive innovation, improve productivity, and ensure the long-term viability of the dairy industry (Poonia et al. 2014). Proper understanding of dairy cattle management can significantly enhance milk yield. Educating farmers about modern, scientifically-based rearing techniques and dispelling myths can boost their economic status and contribute to the national economy and GDP.Extension education is crucial for teaching farmers about conventional animal rearing and providing the latest scientific knowledge. This education helps resolve misconceptions and improves overall farm management practices (Ahmed et al., 2020).
CONCLUSION
The journey towards enhancing the productivity of Indian dairy animals necessitates a concerted and multifaceted approach that addresses the inherent challenges across genetic, nutritional, healthcare, and reproductive management domains. By implementing targeted mitigation strategies and fostering collaborative partnerships between governmental agencies, research institutions, and dairy stakeholders, India can unlock the full potential of its dairy sector. This not only augments national food security but also catalyzes economic development, heralding a new era of prosperity for Indian dairy farming.
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