Cattle feed industry

Today, India has an organized cattle feed compounding industry. In the past 30
years, the annual production of compounded feed has gone up to over 3 million tones
from 40,000 tones, the bulk being accounted for by the western and southern part of
India. Feeds that are formulated largely utilize agro-industrial by-products and other non
conventional materials. However, this production meets only a small percentage of the
total feed concentrate requirements, even for the organized diary farming sector in the
country. This gap is likely to widen by 2000 AD when the requirements of cattle feed
concentrates would be around 5.4 million tons. Feed manufacturing on a commercial and
scientific basic started around 1965 with the setting up of medium-sized feed plants in
northern and western India. Feed was produced mainly to cater to the needs of diary
cattle. The poultry sector was not developed at that time and was restricted to backyard
production with the desi (or native bird) kept mainly for the production of eggs. The
poultry industry is now growing in importance. Today the Indian feed industry is worth
approximately Rs.45 Billion that is about US $ 1 Billion.

Developments in the cattle feed industry

New types of feed have been developed to improve the nutritive value of the
traditional diet by the National Diary Development Board (NDDB). Among them, urea
molasses blocks (UMB) and Bypass Protein Feed (BPF) are gaining popularity for
healthy growth and rise in the productivity of diary animals. The Urea Molasses Block
(UMMB) lick allows the slow ingestion of urea which in turn is efficiently by the rumen
microbes. UMMB licks are manufactured in different states under the cooperative sector.
Bypass protein is a new generation cattle feed in India and is manufactured in by a
special formulation developed by NDDB. Bypass protein feed (BPF) conatins a large
percentage of solvent extracted protein meals grain products, whole grain molasses,
minerals and vitamins. The special formulation are the 65% of the total protein in the
feed is rumen non-degradable protein.
 Utharpradesh tops in milk production in India. These are as many as 25 well
defined breeds of cattle and six well defined and breeds of buffalos in India. A few breeds
are the diary type in which female yield a large quantity of mil and males work. A
majority of breeds are the draught types were females don't produce much milk but
bullocks are of high quality. These are also "Dual purpose" breeds were females yield a
moderate quantity of milk and males are good work in bullocks. Well defined breeds are
found in diary parts of the country while cattle in areas of heavy range fall like south and
east India usually don't belong to any definite breed.
It would need a lot of money to buy manufacturing machinery baggong
equipments, boilers, computer process control, conveyers, mixtures, dryers, scales,
extruder and grinder computer technology vehicle for transporting raw materials and
finished products. The another consideration in this business is a huge inventory
investment. Feed manufactures usually take advantage of fluctuations in feed ingredients
prices by buying in bulk when prices are low; or buy contracting for suppliers months
ahead.

Animal feed commodity production Maize and sorghum

Maize is one of the most important cereals used in animal feed, the annual
production of maize is about 10.5 million tons; about 4 million tons of which are udes in
starch industry, 4.5 million tons in animal feeds and 2.5 millions in human consumption
and seed production. Maize production has remained static in the past 3 years while
demand is increasing. The major crop is during the kharif season (June to October),
which accounts for 90% of the total. The remaining 10% percentage is harvested in the
Ruby seasons (November to February) The import of maize used to be restricted, but
since April 2000 imports have been approved under Open General License (OGL). There
are, however 15% duty and a grain inspection fee to be paid, so there is no price parity
between imported and domestically produced maize. There is no subsidy or minimum
price index for maize, and the price varies with the market demand. Maize cannot be
exported. Sorghum and bajra are varieties if of millet that can grow under limited rain fall
condition and are popularly used in animal feeds. Production on sorghum and bajra
(millet).

Commodity Production (million tones) Export (million

tones)
Maize 10.2 0
Jowar 9.3 0
Soyabean meal 2.7 2.73
1 Groundnut meal 0.59 0.09
Rapeseed meal 1.05 0.92
Sunflower meal 0.52 0.03
Cottonseed meal 1.12 0
Rice-bran (deoiled) 2.95 0.005

RICE BRAN AND SOLVENT-EXTRACTED RICE BRAN

Rice bran and solvent - extracted rice bran are by products. India is one of the worlds
largest producers of rice, producing 87 million tons during 1998/1999 (1.7 percent more
than in the previous year), and India produces approximately 2.95 million tons of solvent
extracted rice bran which is regularly exported.

OILSEED MEALS
In India produces soyabeen, groundnut, rapeseed, sunflower, sesame and cotton meals
and these are used as major ingredients in animal feeds. For animal feeds soyabeen is the
most frequently used oilseed meal and has completely replaced fishmeal in poultry feeds.
Cotton seed cake and meal are often used in cattle feed throughout the country. Ground
nut meal is less popular because of the factoring problem.
India regularly imports edible oil and imported 4.4 million in 1998-1999. These imports
have created problems for the country's crushers and although India has about 600
solvents extraction units, they are running at only 50 percent of capacity. India's economy
is agro-based but the yield per hectare is a cause of major concern to the countries
farmers and agriculture. The government recognizes this and these are subsidies in
fertilizers and power tariffs. The government also assures base price for many agro based
commodities.

CATTLE FEEDS
Cattle feeding practices are done by all cattle rearers. They choose their own ingredients
and prepare their own formulations, believing that by these meet they are able to pay
more individual attention to their cattle. The productivity of the cattle is limited because
of their poor genetic make-up, so high-quality compound feed (industry feed) may not
necessarily generate a significant improvement in productivity and this has hampered
growth of cattle feed industry because most farmers are reluctant to use compound feed
fully. Instead they compromise by using such feed proportions of 5-60% making up the
balance with their own formulations. It is only in the case of highly productive animals
that compound feed has been able to show its real potential and the importance of
technology has been demonstrated.

POULTRY FEED
Poultry feed is divided in to layer and broiler feed. In case of layer feed cost is the main
constraint inclosing compound feed an innovative, high-value compound feed can result
in increased numbers of eggs, but the risks are too high because of the bird's long life
cycle. Compound feed has however made a major contribution to be oil feeding. This is
an example of excellent co-ordination among instrument technology, formulation and use
of feed additives and supplements. Cost is a loss important factor, because the
performance are greater than the cost increases and the birds life cycle is the short.