DAIRY DEVELOPMENT FOR POVERTY ALLEVIATION

AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Livestock - An Asset for Rural Poor

With the increasing population growth, India is passing through an economic crisis. In the
absence of industries and service opportunities, the problems of unemployment and livelihood are
more serious in rural areas. A majority of the rural families are dependent on the natural
resources such as land, livestock, water and vegetation. The income generation and agricultural
production by individual families are dependent on the size of the holding, quality of the resources
and the type of technologies applied for sustainable management of these natural resources.
Being a mobile asset and equally distributed among various sections of the communities,
livestock provides a significant opportunity for small farmers and even the landless to earn their
livelihood. Among different species of livestock, cattle plays a significant role because of its
number and potential. Presently, out of the total 204 million cattle, representing about 17% of
the global total, India has the highest population. In addition, there are about 84 million
buffaloes representing 56% of the world population. Out of these bovines, 57 million cattle and
39 million buffaloes fall in the category of milch animals.

Among cows, there are about 5 million crossbreds, with an average milk yield of 6.4 - 6.9 kg/day.
The average yield of buffaloes is around 4.0 litres/day, whereas the indigenous cows yield only
about 1.0 kg/day. As a majority of the milch animals represent the non-descript, low yielding
cows, the average milk yield of cows in India is only 987 kg per lactation a compared to the
world average of 2038 kg. From Table 1, it is observed that even this level of production was
due to an increase in 100% milk yield during the last three decades. This achievement in India is
far below, as compared to many developing countries.

TABLE 1. YIELD OF MILKING COWS

COUNTRY AVERAGE YIELD - KG/LACTATION

DURING DIFFERENT YEARS
1961-65 1993
Asia 512 1125
India 428 987
Japan 4193 6092
Israel 4625 9291
Europe 2682 4233
France 2552 5289
Denmark 3739 6273
U.K. 3477 5462
North America
Canada 2852 5938
U.S.A 3519 7038
Oceania 2364 3508
Australia 2112 4451

Scope for Dairy Development

Inspite of such low yielders, India has recorded a milk production of 70.8 M.T.(Million Tonnes) in
the year 1996. The annual milk production is likely to exceed 78 M.T. by 2000 A.D. and surpass
USA, which is the highest milk producer in the world. At this stage, the per capita milk
production will rise to 233 gm/day, which is just above the world’s average. However, this
quantity is very low to supplement the diet, as a majority of the population in India suffer from
protein and other nutritional deficiencies. With a rise in income, the per capita milk consumption
can easily rise by 100%. Increased milk production and consumption as in case of Punjab and
Haryana, can ensure better health and reduce the pressure on other agricultural commodities as
well. Thus, with the projected annual growth rate of 5% , the dairy industry will require atleast
20 years to reach this point of saturation. Till then the opportunities can be utilised for the
development of the small farmers and to eradicate rural poverty. Doubling the milk production
during the next two decades is possible, if we study the present problems and evolve suitable
solutions. Today, our indigenous cattle which represents over 90% of the total population is not
able to break-even because of poor genetic base, inadequate feeding and poor health care.
Technically, even unproductive cattle, which consumes about 10-12 kg dry fodder per day
valued at Rs.10, can produce 20-25 kg dung, which can be converted into biogas worth Rs.6-7
and manure worth Rs.7-8 and contribute a daily net income of Rs.2-5. However due to the lack
of awareness and resources required to harness this benefit, farmers avoid spending any money or
inputs on these non-descript cattle. These animals are let out to graze freely on community
pastures and forests and are bred by scrub bulls, thereby eroding their genetic base. Such stray
grazing has been posing a threat to our forest resources and the environment. As these animals
spend over half of their lives outside their sheds, a significant portion of dung goes waste. Being
tolerant to many diseases, these cattle serve as carriers of many diseases and spread health
hazards. In such a situation, the cattle which are capable of supporting our economy have
become a liability.

Apart from providing employment and income, dairy farming has several other advantages.
Livestock consume agricultural by-products and in turn supply farmyard manure and biogas.
Such mixed farming ensures an excellent nutrient recycling which is an eco-friendly practice.
Biogas reduces the dependence on wood for household fuel. Breed improvement and good dairy
husbandry practice can promote stall feeding which in turn helps to utilise the dung for biogas
and manure and conserve our forest and pasture resources. Thus livestock development in India
has better impact on food security and environmental protection, as compared to the negative
effects of methane generation. In fact, in the absence of livestock improvement programme, this
subcontinent may turn into a barren land and prove unfit for our living, much before the ill-effects
of global warming are realised.

Fortunately, dairy husbandry has several advantages, attractive enough to sustain the interest of
larger sections of the community. This activity does not require heavy capital investment as the
farmers can start with the available non-descript cows or purchase cows easily in local markets.
The local cows are hardy and can be maintained even by landless by procuring crop residues.
Dairy farming does not demand heavy labour and hence the rural families can undertake this
activity without altering their present engagements. The technology is simple and most of the
local people are aware of the skills. Finally there is good demand for milk even in local markets
and there are several indigenous techniques to handle unsold surplus milk. Dairy business
provides good opportunity for women to develop this activity as an enterprise and ensures steady
cash returns throughout the year. The crossbred cows which are valued at Rs.10,000 to
Rs.15,000 are considered as mobile cash reserves which are often sold to meet urgent cash needs.

Support For Cattle Breeding and Management

Despite these advantages of dairy husbandry, the progress of livestock development programmes
in India is very slow because of several bottlenecks. The most significant among these problems
is lack of good breeding facilities. Presently only about 8-10% of the milch animals are covered
under artificial insemination (A.I.) services. In the absence of superior quality bulls free from
diseases, natural service will adversely affect the genetic potential for milk productivity and spread
many diseases. Except a few Indian milch breeds such as Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Gir and Kankrej,
which are found in a few pockets of their home tracts, other breeds do not have the potential to
improve the production.Therefore cross-breeding, using exotic milch breeds such as Jersey and
Holstein Friesian will be beneficial to enhance the milk production.

Mere selection of bulls, based on their pedigree is not adequate to ensure higher milk yield of
their progeny, as all the bulls cannot transmit their milking character. To overcome this problem,
there is a technique of progeny testing, wherein a small number of cows are bred and the
performance of their daughters is observed for milk production. This process will require atleast
4-5 years. By then the bulls under testing may become too old to serve a large number of cows.
Thus semen of all the promising bulls in the age group of 3 - 5 years can be collected and stored
in frozen condition, under liquid nitrogen, till the progeny testing reports are compiled.
Subsequently, the semen of only superior proven sires can be used for breeding. Thus it is
necessary to adopt the frozen semen technology for breed improvement. This technology can
also improve the conception rate from the present level of 25-30% to 55-60% as confirmed under
the cattle development programme of BAIF.

Door to door service is another critical input for the success of dairy farming in India. Today in
most of the states, the farmers have to bring their cows and buffaloes to the AI Centre, which is
located 5-10 km away from their home. It will take one full day for two persons to arrange for
AI After bringing the cows to the AI centre, farmers are often disappointed because of shortage of
semen or poor quality germplasm or non-availability of a technician to provide the service. This
ultimately results in poor conception rate and discourages the owners to avail the services. On
the contrary, with the AI service provided at the doorsteps of farmers, an effective interaction can
be established with the farmers, which may promote sound management of milch animals. Door
to door service will also serve as an effective method of training.

After producing high yielding cows, the real challenge is to feed them well and provide good
health cover. In the absence of adequate motivation, farmers often neglect the feeding aspect of
cross-bred calves and heifers, which result in their poor growth and delayed maturity. Production
and intake of protein-rich forage can reduce the dependent on cattle feed and bring down the cost
of maintenance. Mineral mixture may also be provided to ensure nutritional balance. Forage
production on marginal and wastelands should be encouraged to avoid competition for resources
with food crop production. The major health problems can be solved by regular screening for
major diseases such as T.B., J.D., Brucellosis and preventive vaccinations against Foot and Mouth
disease, Rinderpest, Black quarter and HS. Such health care would cost only Rs.40-50 per year
which may help to increase the milk yield by 25-50%. Finally, development of infrastructure for
milk marketing is also essential.

Presently, dairy co-operatives have been promoted to collect milk and supply to dairies. Such
organisations in due course can undertake or sponsor cattle breeding and extension services for
their farmer members. Such schemes are viable in the long run and do not require any financial
assistance from the government.

BAIF’s Programme for Poverty Alleviation

Cross-breeding of non-descript cattle is indeed a boon for our small farmers. A crossbred cow
contributes a net annual income of Rs.3,000-Rs.6,000 depending on the genetic base and the level
of management, as presented in Table 2. Realising this potential, BAIF Development Research
Foundation, a voluntary organisation promoted dairy cattle production as an important income
generating activity, way back in 1967. This programme was approved by the Planning
Commission and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for sponsorship under the
Integrated Rural Development Programme. Presently, BAIF is operating over 3000 cattle
breeding centres in 16 states. Each centre spread over 15 km radius, covers 1,500-2,000
breedable cows and buffaloes in 10-12 villages.

Each centre is headed by a trained A.I. technician to provide door to door breeding service using
frozen semen. Each centre breeds over 1,000 - 1,500 milch animals every year with an
average conception rate of 55%-60%. It is ensured that more than 50% of the beneficiaries belong
to weaker sections of the society. On an average, the crossbred cows come into milk production
at the age of 28-32 months and yield about 2100-2700 litres per lactation.With three crossbred
cows, even a small farmer can easily come out of poverty within a short span of 4-5 years. This is
a sure way to eradicate poverty in rural India.

Through the cattle development programme promoted by BAIF, thousands of rural families in the
country have come out of poverty. In addition to crossbreeding of non-descript cows, BAIF has
also undertaken conservation of local cattle breeds and upgrading of buffaloes. With dairy
husbandry as an occupation, they are also encouraged to adopt biogas plant, improved
agricultural production and good food habits, leading to better quality of life. Efficient nutrient
cycling, promotion of organic farming and stall feeding are other benefits which are helpful in
protecting our environment.

References : Dairy India 1997.

Dr. N.G. Hegde

TABLE 2 : ECONOMICS OF DAIRY HUSBANDRY

PARAMETERS LOCAL COWS CROSSBRED COWS

QUANTITY AMOUNT QUANTITY AMOUNT
Income :
Average milk production
per lactation of 305 days
excluding milk suckled by
calf (Rs.6.00/litre) 200 1200 2200 13200
Dung, farmyard manure
(t/year) 3 1800 5 3000

Total Income (Rs.) 3000 16200

Expenses :

Feed:Concentrate(Rs.4/k) 250 1000 1100 4400

Dry fodder (Rs.1.5/kg) 2100 3150 2000 3000
Green Fodder (Rs.0.8/kg) 400 320 1000 800

Vaccinations & vet. care 10 250

Total Expenses (Rs.) 4470 8450
Net Income (Rs.) (-1470)* 7750
(Excluding labour costs)
National labour cost 2500
Breeding & other services 250
Cost of growing stock 1000
Net Profit 4000

* This loss can be avoided by stallfeeding and use of dung for biogas production.