How to increase the income of livestock farmer’s in India: Strategies/ Recommendations
DR MD MOIN ANSARI
Associate Professor/Senior Scientist
Division of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology
FVSc & AH, SKUAST K, SHALIMAR -190025
Abstract:
Livestock farming in India is an age old business where, the real stakeholders of genetic diversity have been the rural poor farmers and grazers. However, it was seen that the real stakeholders were kept out of the picture while formulating breeding strategies and executing the research objectives. New age approach must ensure active participation of the end user along with his involvement in the research and development programmes. Scientific approach for management of breeding, nutrition, marketing and healthcare etc must be followed for reducing the losses and fetching more returns from animal rearing by fixation of the prices and net economic benefit to the end user. Effective coordination among the public, private sectors and growers is, essential for implementing new strategies to achieve fruitful results. The purpose of this article is to discuss the opportunities to improve the income of livestock farmers. More importantly, it will focus on those imperatives that merit urgent attention, and can directly contribute to increased food production and food security, associated with reduced poverty and improved livelihoods of the poor in rural areas.
Keywords: Livestock farming, healthcare, breeding, transfer of technology, farmers income
INTRODUCTION:
Livestock farming is an indispensable component of human living which supports the livelihood of 70% of the rural poor’s globally. Livestock and livestock products are estimated to make up over 40% of total agricultural output in industrialized nations and about 30% in developing nations. Globally the livestock sector supplies around 12.9 % of calories & 27.9% of protein consumed worldwide as against 20.3% calories and 47.8% protein in developed countries. Trade in livestock products has grown enormously during last 40 years by a factor of 30.0 for poultry meat, more than 7.0 for pig meat and 5.0 for milk. In order to meet up the demands of the growing human population, emphasis on increasing production has considerably increased over the last few decades and it still continues. Total meat production in the developing world tripled between 1980-2002, from 45 to 134 million tons and will further increase to 465 million tons by 2050. Milk production is expected to increase to 1043 million tons by 2050 and global farm animal production is expected to double by 2050 with most of this increase taking place in the developing world. All this has lead to commercialization of the livestock sector with more herd/flock size which has ultimately paved way for animal welfare issues, managemental problems and environmental concerns. Precision livestock farming is emerging as a tool to maintain the required level of production and at the same time address to a large extent the concerns that arise.
Increasing the contribution to food production from components of the livestock sector in the future is a most urgent need in all countries. The task is especially compelling in Asia in the face of several demand-led factors which inter alia include population growth, urbanization, income growth, inability of current supplies to match requirements, and changing consumer preferences. This situation is further exacerbated by inefficiencies in individual animal production systems and natural resource management to respond to the need for increased supplies of foods of animal origin, as well as promote improved livelihoods and rural growth. In the search for efficiency in the use of the livestock resources, it is therefore important to examine the imperatives for improving the situation to meet the new challenges. However, potential contribution is constrained by inefficient use of potentially important breeds, inefficient and inappropriate production systems, poor strategies for improved natural resource management, weak marketing systems, inadequate official support and resource use. The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) has identified five freedoms that, if maintained, can help ensure the welfare of livestock. Thus, at all times, animals should have freedom from hunger and thirst, from discomfort from pain, injury or disease, from fear and distress and to express normal behavior. Thus, all animals must also have access to fresh water and a diet which will maintain their health and vigor; should be provided with an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area; must be ensured for prevention of illnesses, or rapid diagnosis and treatment; must be provided with the conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering, and sufficient space, proper facilities and company of their own kind. These together have resulted in continuing dismal low productivity that does very little to alleviate poverty, subsistence livelihoods and food security especially in rural areas. Their contribution is therefore not commensurate to their value especially in animal farm systems. In a historical context, this situation has not changes, despite the considerable advances that have been made in research in several areas, such as feeding and nutrition, reproduction, and animal health. The purpose of this article is to discuss the opportunities to improve the income of livestock farmers. More importantly, it will focus on those imperatives that merit urgent attention, and can directly contribute to increased food production and food security, associated with reduced poverty and improved livelihoods of the poor in rural areas.
Strategies/ Recommendations
Some of the important Strategies/ Recommendations which can suggest and implement it through livestock farmers in order to achieve improvement in the income of livestock farmers are:
- Increased production will need more efficient use of available breeds and commercially-oriented production systems: Production systems need to shift more aggressively from a subsistence base to more market-oriented outlook to match the market demand with changing consumer preferences. Improved prerequisites for meat production include efficiency of meat, reproductive rate and build up of numbers. A large infrastructure is available in the country for the semen/ embryo collection, storage and deep freezing. It should be mandatory for them to keep sample of semen doses/embryos in addition to their development needs. There is a tremendous potential and demand of meat both in local market and for export especially to Middle-eastern countries. Therefore, strategy to fulfill this potential is to breed for more efficient, sturdy, prolific type of animals for both extensive (low input) and intensive (feedlot) systems. The intensive systems will be developed for feeding lambs for fattening from selected areas where organized breeding will be possible. Areas having extensive system of management could serve as resource areas for availability of lambs to be reared under intensive feeding conditions in feed surplus areas. Elite male germplasm centres should be developed for providing good breeding rams/males. Establishment of an open nucleus breeding flocks (ONBS) through animals selected objectively on the basis of trait(s) of interest and selection within the nucleus to produce genetically superior rams/males for use in the nucleus flocks/herds and for distribution to farmers’ flocks/herds be improved. The existing state sheep breeding farms may also be considered for conversion into ONBS. The productivity of each breed may be improved by bringing as large a number of farmers’ flocks as possible under the improvement programme which may not only take up improvement through different breeding approaches but may involve provision of a totality of inputs and services related to genetic improvement, health cover, feed resources development, conservation and their strategic utilization, management and marketing of the produce. Breeding policy needs to be reviewed keeping in view the global liberalization, farmers’ needs and perception, demand and supply of animal products like wool and meat, availability of feeds and fodder, existing species/breeds and their performance, infrastructure and support system in different agro climatic zones.
- Understand markets and marketing systems: This is a major weakness presently, and better understanding of these and agribusiness will enable producer response, and need for policy interventions and more efficient marketing systems. Average carcass weight is rough measure of the efficiency of meat production. The number of animals maintained will reflect the biological cost, and the amount of meat produced the returns. Improvements to the latter will indicate increased net returns to the producers. In good breeding programmes, increased meat production and more numbers for local slaughter are associated with replacements in production systems that match efficient use of especially feeds. On the other hand, decreased production per head and increased numbers will indicate in the more extensive systems, overgrazing in the face of reduced feed supplies. An examination of carcass weight per head in the developing countries of Asia over the last three decades indicates that the average weight in sheep (14-16 kg) was higher than in goats (12-13 kg). It is pertinent to draw attention to the considerable demand for these meats in Middle East markets. Several delegations and individuals have approached many countries in the Asian region to cope with this request, but most countries are not ready as yet, to respond to this potentially lucrative demand for goat meat and mutton. Ironically however, goat populations in all countries in Asia except China are higher than that of sheep. Goats are about 49% higher in numbers than that of sheep also have an annual growth rate of about 4.2% which is twice that of 2.2% in sheep. For profitable meat production, there is need to evolve a breed, which must have fast and efficient growing lambs/kids. The ewes/does should be prolific and must have good mothering ability. Fast growth and early maturity are the most important characteristics for meat production. Selection programs have been undertaken in indigenous stock to increase their productivity. Malpura Muzaffarnagri, Madras Red and Mandya sheep exhibited considerable improvement through selective breeding which indicated that these are promising sheep breeds for increasing mutton production and they can also be used as improver breeds for up-gradation of native stock.
- Feed and Nutrition: Country has about 121 million hectares of grazing land, which includes pastures, forests, miscellaneous tree crops and crops cultivable wastelands, and fallow land. These areas have to be developed exclusively under pastures and forests. A national policy has to be framed to develop these lands and manage them suitably for grazing purposes. Individual farmers owning such land should be given incentive and material inputs for bringing such lands in their control under such silvi pastoral development. Feeding strategies should be developed to utilize various resources of straws and crop residues, grasses and byproducts in complete feeds. Methods need to be developed to alleviate deleterious factors of anti-nutritional factors present in top feeds, by product feeds etc. Simultaneously, intensive and semi intensive systems of feeding management for small ruminant production may be developed. Trees and their provenances suitable to that locality be encouraged and preference should be given to indigenous fast growing species. Crop combination in agri-silvi-pastoral systems should be selected with minimum negative interaction. Multi-tier system of crop combination could be practiced for effective utilization of land as well as non-food crop production could be balanced. The two-tier concept, providing forage to the small ruminants and increasing the carrying capacity of the grazing lands must be promoted with different silvi-pastoral system. Shrubs and tree fodder have extensive value in arid and semi-arid zones because of shortage of feed. Promising shrubs and trees for introduction into the various agro-climatic zones of India must be identified with simultaneous development of easy methods of raising fodder trees into native pasture, grazing lands, alley farming and other silvi-pastoral and agro forestry systems. In the humid regions, leguminous fodder shrubs and trees are especially valuable protein supplements and in reducing cost of production; hence these need to be developed. Conservation methods of seasonal surplus to feed and forage from the silvi-pastoral systems should be developed.
- Wool / fibre marketing: The Indian wool is coarse having short staple; hence not fit for apparels. However, this wool can be used for carpet or felt production besides a number of other uses. On account of dwindling wool prices in the country, the profit margin from wool to the farmers is shrinking. There is an urgent need to develop diversified wool products using the Indian wool. With this rationale, several handicrafts, apparel involving various combinations of wool as natural fiber and other natural or manmade fibers can be developed. A process for uniform yarn from short staple wool spinning is developed. There is a need to utilize and evaluate performance of this yarn as knitwear. This will help in utilization of indigenous fine wool in knitting yarn production and development of diversified quality knit wears and better price realization for native wools. Formation of carpet yarn with core-sheath structure through siro/ modified siro method on ring frame and wrapping technique in DREF spinning system will make it possible to use the non-suitable coarse wool in carpet yarn and harvest its high stiffness properties in terms of carpet performance as well as in producing diversified handloom woven carpet from coarse-medium type wool produced from south India. Apart from thermal insulation, wool has ability to absorb and retain moisture for longer time. This property of wool can be gainfully utilized for preparation of various agro-textile and geo-textile products. Wool has special character of felting when it is rubbed with detergent solution and converted into a desired shape. It has great potential to develop diversified handicraft products such as mats, wall hangings, flower pots, soft toys of novel designs and colour combination. Wool and goat hair/pashmina/mohair should be declared as an agricultural commodity to introduce a price support system on the lines of cotton, jute and other commodities. Inclusion of wool in the National Cooperative Development Council list to help refinancing at lower rates of interest to marketing organization and soft loan to growers by NABARD.
- Organic agriculture is a holistic production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It promotes biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. It is a system that begins to consider potential environmental and social impacts by eliminating the use of synthetic inputs such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, allopathic drugs, genetically modified seeds and breeds, preservatives, additives and irradiation. According to the basic principles of organic agriculture, livestock are kept as a part of the farming system and their nutrition has to be based on home-grown feeds. Therefore, both the sustainability and the productivity of the farming system depend on the internal flow of nutrients as represented by feed and manure, which implies that health and welfare of organic livestock cannot be seen in isolation from the whole system. In the past, conventional livestock farming has been impressively successful in its ability to improve the performance of farm animals and to decrease production costs. Animal farming systems are now expected to meet a number of objectives: to produce milk, meat, eggs and fiber, but also to minimize environmental damage and to improve animal welfare, biodiversity and environmental goods.
- Health care and management: Good livestock health is seen not simply as the absence of the disease, but also as a high level of vigor and vitality, thus enhancing the animal’s ability to resist parasite infection, parasitic attack and metabolic disorder, and to recover from injury. Health care in organic farming starts with selection of suitable breeds, raising the livestock according to its natural requirement; feeding good quality feed along with required grazing to strengthen the immune system of the animal and providing suitable housing to avoid related stress and associated health problems. Inadequate information on various aspects of diseases is available such as epidemiology, diagnosis, prevention and economics of diseases. There is a need for a standard disease reporting system which provides database for planning of disease control programmes and for immediate intervention at various levels, viz. village, tehsil, district and state. Surveillance system should be established for reporting diseases in small ruminants. The Central and State Governments should initiate measures that provide the required information for effective control of diseases at priority. Diagnostic facilities for animals diseases need improvement. States having significant populations of farming animals should develop special cells in existing diagnostic laboratories, equipped fully to diagnose the diseases. The technology for production of vaccine/toxoid is required to be upgraded and there is a need to produce standard vaccines for various diseases such as Sheep Pox, Entro-toxaemia (ETT), Rinderpest, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Peste des petits ruminants and Blue tongue. Also there is a need to improve the quality control of vaccines at all levels of production and delivery. This may be viewed in the overall ambit of improving vaccine production technology in the country. An independent authority for quality control of veterinary drugs, biologicals and diagnostic reagents needs to be set up. The Institutes like IVRI, Izatnagar, must provide adequate supply of vaccines for diseases like Blue tongue. New strategies for control of endo-parasites need to be developed. The importance of veterinary extension to educate farmers about prevention and control of diseases needs to be stressed to run major disease control programs successfully in the country. The right approach to provide appropriate health care is through flock/herd health management. Model health care delivery systems for different small ruminant production systems are lacking. Research in the development of appropriate health care delivery systems for varying production systems in the country is required. Strict control of diseases that impede export of meat and live animals such as Rinderpest and FMD should be initiated in those regions that have large potential. Provision of support system from state and central government for timely and regular vaccination, drenching and dipping of animals against diseases in small ruminants rearing zones will reduce the losses due to morbidity and mortality. This will also increase mutton production and save the precious animals from death.
- Development and Transfer of Technology: Development and transfer of appropriate viable technologies of livestock production systems and farming systems deserve urgent attention by researchers involving farmers. Imparting training to farmers in crop and animal husbandry for better management of farming. Import of wool should be allowed to the actual users only and this facility should be linked with export performance of the user. In importing the wool, care should be taken to right of Indian wool producers. Research and development efforts should be taken up to identify areas for use of coarse wools and to develop right technology. The field level extension functionaries of the major sheep/goat rearing states like Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, etc. need to be targeted during the coming decades and regular training should be provided on latest technological developments. Strong extension programme is required for effective technology dissemination in these states. Increased participation of social scientists will be required in the future for identifying problems of marketing, identifying factors impeding production and in planning, execution and impact assessment of transfer of technology programmes in the field. A large number of precision based technologies are presently in vogue in different parts of the world and some new technologies are emerging. Radio frequency based identification systems have been developed and tried. Besides this, there has been a considerable development in developing recording devices for measuring the physiological responses and performance of the animals at individual level.
Electronic (radio frequency) identification (RFID) utilizes tags containing a microchip that can be read electronically which ensures accurate identification of cows. Tagging livestock with RFID can be an important tool in a farmer’s arsenal to identify each animal along with its pedigree and medical information. An RFID reader or wand scans the animal during veterinary visits or inventory counts, and with the help of software, uploads significant information on each animal to a database. This technology can be utilized to record animal events such as heat detection, treatments, diseases, etc which facilitates better management of an individual animal’s performance.
Livestock Identification Trace-back System (LITS): The Livestock Identification and Trace-back System is used to capture data on individual animals and their owners, and transmit it directly to a central database. It is comprised of two subsystems namely the “database management query and reporting subsystem” and the “Livestock identification and data acquisition subsystem”. This system generates and preserves animal health and treatment records, correlates feeding programmes with yield and helps in selection of breeding animals. As in the case of other precision based technologies, sensors are an important component of this system. Usually a bolus containing a transponder is inserted into each animal’s rumen. Each bolus carries a unique ID number and other data that can be read by fixed or portable readers and relayed to the database. It can be used to locate lost or stolen animals and to monitor and manage disease outbreaks. The bolus is retrieved at the slaughterhouse and can be recycled, keeping costs low. LITS can also be utilized in epidemiological studies.
Real time sound analysis to detect health status: This model has been originally designed for swine flu models on similar lines may be tried for farm animal. It has been developed to detect infections in fattening pigs by real time recording followed by online assessment of the sounds they produce. Algorithms have been developed to detect coughs of pigs out of a raw sound signal. The accuracy of classification of pig’s coughs through this model is not much lower than through conventional methods.
Robotic milking system: This model utilizes robots for milking of dairy animals and is aided by the laser based sensors to locate the teat to fix the clusters. It also ensures monitoring of automatic milking system functions, measuring milk quantity and composition, monitoring other aspects of Animal health besides ensuring udder disinfection before and after milking.
Eyenamic system: This model has been developed for behavioral studies and overall management of housed birds and similar models may be developed for farm animals. It utilizes overhead cameras fixed at specific locations to provide continuous data from which various software based indices are generated. In the event of any aberrations beyond the pre-calculated normal ranges of any of these indices, the system generates an alarm indicating the occurrence of an undesirable event so as to take necessary action. Such events include electricity failure, problems with light, climate control, and water supply or the feeding system, vaccination etc.
Automatic recording devices (rumen temperature, pressure, pH): Rumen motility is one of the important parameters to assess the functioning of digestive system in ruminants. It can be assessed by measuring changes in rumen pressure, pH & temperature. However, it is only the real time measurement of these parameters that will suffice the need as these parameters are dynamic in nature. Technology utilizing precision tools for measuring intraruminal temperature is now available. It utilizes a bolus containing a mote (temperature sensor, processor and radio) placed in the rumen of a fistulated animal to monitor body temperature with promising results. These boluses (internal sensors) are a very useful tool for assessing the relationship between rumen pressures on bloat in ruminants. Technology is being developed to continuously monitor other intra-ruminal parameters such as pH and pressure.
Bioinformatics Information is a basic resource similar to that of finance or human skills. In India, it is more important that this resource can be efficiently used especially in rural development programmes. There is a need for developing databases for available genetics resources and livestock inventory, feed and fodder nutrient content, availability and prices, disease reporting and information, marketing and management practices. Increased resource use is urgent and needs to be targeted at increasing productivity, reducing poverty, improving livelihoods of the poor and promotion of rural growth. New techniques of modeling and forecasting have made impact in sire evaluation, feed formulation, disease management and market projections in developed countries. There is a need to develop suitable techniques and tools employing information technology for application in Indian conditions. Policy support and institutional commitment are very important prerequisites, and without such institutional commitment, small ruminants will continue to receive only lip service. Policy instruments that can seize this initiative can make a significant impact an increased production and improved livelihoods.
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