Day 12 – Q 4.Dairy farming can’t sustain itself without a vibrant livestock processing industry. Comment.
4. Dairy farming can’t sustain itself without a vibrant livestock processing industry. Comment.
डेयरी फार्मिंग एक जीवंत पशुधन प्रसंस्करण उद्योग के बिना खुद को सतत बनाए नहीं रख सकती है। टिप्पणी करें।
Synopsis
India is one of the largest dairy producers in the world. It also provides employment to about 8.8% of the population in India. Moreover, dairy farming sector contributes 4.11% GDP and 25.6% of total Agriculture GDP.
However, the dairy industry, today, is going through an unprecedented crisis, with procurement prices of milk for farmers falling by 25-30% in the last one year. Along with it, it is facing challenges like:
- Shortage of feed/fodder
- There is an excessive number of unproductive animals which compete with productive dairy animals in the utilisation of available feeds and fodder.
- Late maturity, in most of the Indian cattle breeds, is a common problem. The calving interval is on the increase resulting in a reduction in efficiency of animal performance.
- Veterinary health care centres are located in far off places. The ratio between cattle population and veterinary institution is wider, resulting in inadequate health services to animals.
- Many cattle owners do not provide proper shelter to their cattles leaving them exposed to extreme climatic conditions.
- Unsanitary conditions of cattle shed and milking yards, leads to mastitis conditions
It is here livestock industry becomes important for sustainable development of dairy farming.
- Buffalo meat processing can ensure that the farmer gets 30-40% of the cost of his animal as terminal value once its active lactation/reproductive age is over.
- Setting up abattoir would also ensure increased availability of good-quality buffalo hide that is freshly flayed, fleshed, salted and folded for supply to the leather industry.
- Will ensure greater availability of feed/fodder for healthy and lactating cattle.
- Decrease of economic burden on dairy farmers, on one hand, and increase in supplementary income, on the other.
Along with transforming dairy farming, livestock industry can be instrumental in improving India’s export potential.
However, the industry is facing challenges like:
- Lack of proper farmer-industry connectivity
- A low number of APEDA-approved abattoir
- Existence of Foot and Mouth disease makes it difficult for industry to meet export-quality
- High export duty on raw salted hides
- Lack of R&D in the sector
- The recent crackdown on cattle trade
Various measures taken by the government to overcome these challenges are:
- The Salvaging and Rearing of Male Buffalo Calves Scheme
- E-Pashuhaat
- Biotech Genome
- CIRB
- Hisar Gaurav
- National Livestock Mission
The government has taken an ambitious resolve to double farmers’ income by 2022. An efficient and vibrant livestock industry is essential to achieve for the government to meet this objective.
Best Answer – Singha1370
