Animal
Farm
Shuchi
Srivastava strokes the soft underbelly of the livestock population
of India and is struck by its dual status of being both food and
family
The
quintessential visual of a farmer’s home in India is incomplete
without the figure of a genteel animal that is as much a part of
the domestic fabric as any other member. These amiable beasts apart
from being a vital agricultural resource have also engendered many
a riveting
myth.
That
they are finally taking centre stage is clear from the fact that
a distinct Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (AH&D)
came into existence on February 1, 1991. Livestock in India is an
important source of draught power, manure for crop production and
fuel for domestic use. Although crops and livestock are interdependent
to a large extent, the latter constitutes an important mechanism
for coping with the risk of crop failure. In India, livestock wealth
is mainly concentrated among the majority of marginal and small
landholders. According to estimates of the Central Statistical Organisation
(CSO), the value of output from livestock at current prices during
2000-01 was Rs 1,44,088 crore. Total export earnings from livestock,
poultry and related products was Rs 3,841 crore in 2001-02.
Animal
husbandry
The
Approach Paper to the Tenth Five Year Plan has identified animal
husbandry including dairying and poultry, as an important component
of agricultural diversification. Animal science research over the
last few decades has generated a number of technologies in the areas
of animal genetics and breeding, feed and nutrition, health, and
management. The technical feasibility of many of these has been
proven under experimental conditions. Developments include crossbreeding
in cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry; chemical and biological treatment
of cereal straws; and vaccines against rinderpest, influenza, and
foot and mouth disease. A number of livestock technologies are available
for field application, but are yet to gain wide acceptance. This
poses several questions for researchers, research administrators,
and policy-makers: Is the technology economically feasible and tested
on-farm in different farming systems? To what extent have farmers’
perceptions and needs been taken into consideration in the design
of the technology? Have proper pathways been followed to transfer
the technology?
Pros
and cons
The
adoption patterns of these technologies vary widely across species,
farm topologies and regions. Genetics and breeding research have
evolved many new breeds of cattle, pig, sheep, and poultry using
crossbreeding techniques. These breeds have better production coefficients
compared to indigenous ones. However, their adoption in the field
is limited and sporadic. The adoption level is higher in urban areas
compared to rural areas. Wide scale adoption of crossbreeds is restricted
due to their non-acclimatisation to the tropical climates prevailing
in most parts of the country. Besides, their higher maintenance
cost, lower immunity, and the poor success of artificial insemination
(AI) are other barriers to the adoption of crossbreeding. There
are also specie-specific constraints. The crossbred cow has to be
replaced frequently to maintain the flow of benefits. Thus, frequent
and high acquisition costs, lack of disposal facilities (cattle
slaughter is banned in most Indian states) are other roadblocks
to wide-scale adoption of crossbreeding technology in cattle. The
alternatives are to generate technology appropriate to the resource-poor,
risk-prone, diversified and scattered small production units. Generation
of appropriate technology would be possible if:
- Technology
is generated through on-farm experimentation
- The
subsequent assessment and refinement of technology is in collaboration
with the farmers
-
Crossbreeding programmes emphasise species with a short generation
interval and high demand.
The
success rate of AI services is currently low although they are heavily
subsidised. It is therefore, imperative to improve quality of breeding
material, techniques, and delivery services so as to instill and
reclaim the confidence of livestock owners in AI. It is also crucial
that buffaloes receive increased attention in research and development
programmes in view of their better adaptability to varied climates,
higher milk yields, higher fat content and disposal value. The lack
of established and standardised methodology for assessment and refinement
of livestock technology and for conducting experimentation at the
unorganised scattered small farm units needs to be viewed seriously.
Nonetheless, under certain ecological and economic conditions, adoption
of crossbreeding technology in cattle has been quite encouraging.
The states of Kerala and Punjab, for instance, have a considerably
higher proportion of crossbred cattle. The government is taking
a step in this direction by implementing a Central Herd Registration
Scheme for registration of elite cows and buffaloes and awarding
incentives for their rearing to provide a superior quality germ
plasm for a selective breeding. It also wants to facilitate genetic
upgradation of non-descript and descript cows and assist the State
Departments of Animal Husbandry, private sector and government undertakings
in procuring elite dairy cows and buffaloes as well as bulls and
progeny of high genetic potential.
A
comprehensive National Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding has
been launched in the country with effect from October 2000. This
project envisages a 100 per cent grant-in-aid for various cattle
and buffalo breeding activities and aims to ensure the delivery
of vastly improved artificial insemination at the farmer’s door.
Disease
control technologies
Livestock
disease control has undergone a paradigm shift in recent years.
A number of biological products (vaccines) have been developed for
preventive and curative disease management. The infrastructure for
disease control has also expanded considerably. The main limitations
to effective livestock health management are an inadequate focus
on preventive measures, lack of medicines and equipment in rural
veterinary clinics, and ignorance among the farmers. This is reflected
in the frequent occurrence of many of these diseases in most parts
of the country. The Government has launched a Livestock Health &
Disease Control programme, which would attempt to address the following
issues
- Control
of Animal Diseases
- Professional
Efficiency Development
- Rinderpest
Eradication
-
Foot and Mouth Disease Control Programme
-
Developing a programme to address the new kind of diseases that
now inflict the cattle population due to intensive cross breeding.
Goat
rearing
Today
India has a population of 128 million goats, which is about 20 per
cent of the total global population. Among the different livestock
farming systems, goat keeping can prove to be a fruitful exercise,
as it demands less investment. Although commensurate organised husbandry
practices, with nutritional inputs and health coverage are almost
negligible. Goats have a high survival rate under critical environmental
conditions and can simultaneously produce a variety of products
for the family and the market like meat, milk, skin and fibre. Under
the present system of rearing, they are maintained exclusively on
an extensive system of grazing. The emerging awareness of Indian
consumer for quality meat, changing land utilisation patterns and
export avenues to the Middle East is likely to alter goat production
in India and it can be safely said that in the future majority of
goats will be raised to meet international market requirements.
Since
1971, systematic scientific efforts have been made to improve the
genetic potential of goats in terms of increasing milk, meat and
fibre production. The superior germplasm, especially those of Barbari
and Jamunapari breeds maintained at Central Institute for Research
on Goats (CIRG), can be used for breeding high-yielding animals.
Almost
95 per cent of the goat meat produced in India is consumed locally.
Population growth, urbanisation, and income growth in developing
countries are fuelling a massive global increase in the demand for
food of animal origin. The resulting demand comes from changes in
the diet of billions of people and could provide income growth opportunities
for many rural poor. A regular marketing channel has to be established
to encourage the farmers to invest in commercial production under
the semi intensive system. Better pasture management has to be introduced
to avoid over grazing of rangelands, new practices have to evolve
by blending traditional practices with scientific inputs, for better
production, by creating awareness among goat farmers.
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