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FEED & FODDER REQUIREMENTS FOR MILK PRODUCTION IN INDIA  

Livestock production is backbone of Indian Agriculture and source of employment in rural areas for centuries.  This sector has been the primary source of energy for agriculture operation and major source of animal protein for the masses.  Therefore India has been house to major draught, milch and dual-purpose breeds of cattle.  Our whole system of rural economy has revolved around livestock production. 

However, there has been a rapid change in the way agriculture operations are carried out like;

-     Agriculture production i.e. cropping system, water resources, diversification of crops, intensification of agriculture

-      Increasing use of mechanical power V/S bullock power

-      Transformation from sustenance farming to market oriented farming

-       Changing food habits 

All this has its impact on animal husbandry practices including breed character requirements of Indian farmer and thus their feeding. 

India is house to 15% world cattle population and 16% of human population to be sustained and Progressed on 2% of total geographical areas. Due to ever increasing population pressure of human, arable land is mainly used for food and cash crops, thus there is little chance of having good quality arable land available for fodder production, until milk production is remunerative to the farmer as compared to other crops. 

1.  Scenario of feed and fodder requirement & availability: 

There is tremendous pressure of livestock on available feed and fodder, as land available for fodder production has been decreasing.  Scenario of feed and fodder availability till 2025 is as below: -

(In million tones)

 

Year

 

Supply

 

Demand

Deficit as % of demand

(actual demands)

 

Green

Dry

Green

Dry

Green

Dry

1995

379.3

421

947

526

59.95 (568)

19.95 (105)

2000

384.5

428

988

549

61.10 (604)

21.93 (121)

2005

389.9

443

1025

569

61.96 (635)

22.08 (126)

2010

395.2

451

1061

589

62.76 (666)

23.46 (138)

2015

400.6

466

1097

609

63.50 (696)

23.56 (143)

2020

405.9

473

1134

630

64.21 (728)

24.81 (157)

2025

411.3

488

1170

650

64.87 (759)

24.92 (162)

 

Source:  Draft report of the working group on animal husbandry and dairying for five-year plan (2002-2007, Govt. of India, Planning Commission, August – 2001). 

According to another estimate by NDDB for an expected production of 86 million of milk by the end of 9th plan, annual requirement of green fodder will be to tune of 1064 million T and dry fodder to tune of 585 million T.  The current availability, however if estimated at 570 million T and 400 million T respectively. 

2. FeedProduction:  

(in million tones)

 

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

Concentrates available

41.96

43.14

44.35

45.63

48.27

Concentrates required

117.44

120.52

123.59

127.09

130.55

Concentrate Deficit

64.27

64.21

64.12

64.10

63.03

 

Source:  Draft report of the working group on animal husbandry and dairying for five-year plan (2002-2007, Govt. of India, Planning Commission, August – 2001). 

The most common livestock feed resources are: - 

1. Crop reduces (Straw, stoves, haulms etc)

2. Grass land, alpine, sub-alpine, pasture land

3. Community lands, Common property resources, wasteland

4. Cultivated fodder

5. Forest lands

6. Cut and carry grasses

7. Novel unconventional feeds, top feeds, famine feeds

8. Coarse grain

9. Oil meals

10. Cereal bran, hulls, husks

11. Agro products

12. Fish meals

13.Bone meals 

Source:  Draft report of the working group on animal husbandry and dairying for five-year plan (2002-2007, Govt. of India, Planning Commission, August – 2001).

 It is obvious from the table that deficit in green and dry fodder is increasing every year, while for concentrate gap almost static.  But this gap is critical and is going to determine the type of animal and husbandry practices to be followed. 

3.   Livestock Population: 

The above requirements have been worked out on the projected livestock population (equivalent to adult cattle unit) as below: - 

Projected livestock estimates when converted into adult cattle unit (ACUs) massing are of their expected age profiles are as under: - 

Year

Cattle

Buffalo

Sheep

Goat

Equine

Camel

Total

1995

180.5

82.8

4.0

9.2

0.5

0.9

278.0

2000

187.1

87.7

4.1

9.9

0.4

1.0

290.0

2005

192.2

92.6

4.2

10.5

0.3

1.0

30 1.0

2010

197.3

97.5

4.3

11.2

0.3

1.0

312.0

2015

202.3

102.4

4.4

11.8

0.1

1.1

322.0

2020

207.4

107.3

4.5

12.5

0.1

1.1

333.0

2025

212.5

112.2

4.6

13.2

0.1

1.1

344.0

 

The estimated livestock population was converted to ACUs assuming that 350 kg of body weight =1 ACU in cattle, 450 kg=1 ACU in buffalo, 10 goats=1 ACU, 10 sheep=1 ACU. 

Source:  Draft report of working group for X plan for AHCD, Planning Commission, August 2001. 

 4.   Quality of feed & Fodder: 

Livestock rearing in India is changing with the requirement of time as is also evident that demand for milch breed of cattle is going up as compared to dual or draught breed.  Population of indigenous breed like Haryana, Nagori, Khilar i.e. dual & draught purpose breeds has declined more than milch breeds.  In this globalize / market economy dependent agri-economy, milk production has to compete for growing fodder on good or able land.  Thus milch animals have to be of high productivity and reproductive efficiency. 

4.1.  Role of cultivated fodders:

i)     Feed & fodder cost constitute about 60-70% of cost of milk production thus cultivated fodder has an important role in meeting requirement of various nutrients & roughage in our country to produce milk most economically as compared to concentrates 

ii)    It needs feed, which not only meet nutrient requirement but fills the rumen to satisfy the animal. 

iii)   In view of microbial digestion system, feeds have to meet requirement of cattle maintenance, production and requirement of microbes to promote digestion. 

4.2.Cultivated fodder crops have a place of importance for feeding of ruminants in view of the following aspects: - 

a)   In view of the peculiar digestive system, provided by nature, ruminants need feeds, which not only meet their nutritional requirements but also fill the rumen and satisfy the animal.

b)   In view of microbial digestion system the feeds have to meet requirements of the animal, its production as well as the needs of microbes for promoting digestion.

 

c)   The fodder crops meet these requirements very effectively and hence are important for ruminant production system. As evident from reports that mixed with coarse roughages, like wheat straw, its intake and digestion are improved. 

4.3.Fodder crops provide all the critical elements like highly digestible protein, carbohydrates, fats and minerals. Green fodders are a very good source of B-carotene (precursor of vitamin A).  

i)     Common cereal fodder crops like Maize, Sorghum and Oats are rich in energy and the leguminous crops like Lucerne, Berseem & Cowpea are rich in proteins.  

ii)    Leguminous crops, like Berseem, Lucerne & Cowpea, are a good source of major &micro minerals, so critical for rumen microbes as well as animal system 

iii)     Fodder cultivation has been traditional in most parts of the country since farmers feel that the fodder crops have some factor, which keeps the animal healthy and productive. And hence since generations farmers have marked out certain varieties and crops for fodder production and cultivate these, depending on availability of land and water. 

4.4.    The green fodder crops are known to be cheaper source of nutrients as compared to concentrates and hence useful in bringing down the cost of feeding and reduce the need for purchase of feeds/ concentrates from the market. 

4.5.    The stage of harvest of crop has profound effect on the nutrient contents of the fodder crop. The moisture and nutrient contents of the crop decreases and fiber content increases with maturity and hence harvesting at proper stage is crucial. 

4.6.    Fodder production programme should aim at selecting crops and varieties, which produce highest quantities of ' Nutrients per unit of land and time period' and hence a continuous search for improved varieties is crucial. 

i)  Grasses like Hybrid Napier and Guinnea grass are known for high yields and their new varieties produce good quality fodder. These grasses being perennial and high yielding are useful. 

ii)  Shrubs and small trees (like Gliricidia, Desmanthus, Leucaena, Sesbania spp.) are very good and cheap source of protein and minerals and can be introduced between farm plots and have multipurpose utility. 

4.7.   In case surplus fodder is available in some season it can be stored in form of silage or hay for lean season. 

4.8.   Leguminous crops like Lucerne and Berseem are useful in promoting ruminal development in calves. 

5.  Role of common property resources in meeting feed requirement of livestock: 

It has been tradition in India to have community pasture land in each village, which has been an important source of feed for cattle particularly of weaker sections like landless / small / marginal farmers.  Each family has equal access to these resources in the village.  In the past, group of villagers were taking care of such lands and maintaining them, but after abolition of this system, these properties became no body’s property and are now in denuded condition and encroached upon by influential or sold by pachayats to mobilize resources.  Various type of natural CPR is as below: - 

5.1.   Natural CPRs:

These are nature-gifted and include:

a)   Land resources:

 

i) Gochar (plot of land left vacant for livestock grazing)

ii) Banjar (degraded and wastelands, under individual or group ownership but used as resting place by livestock of the community).

iii) Gaura (plot of land where milking of milch cattle is done)

iv) Khaliyan (land where all the members of the community store their crop produce together)

v) Nistar (land reserved &SSS left vacant for fairs, haat market, cultural ceremonies etc).

b)   Forest resources:

 

1) Kakad bani (plot of land with vegetative cover specially between two village boundaries)

2) Devbani (plot of forest land left by the community in the name of god and used only in the vent of natural crisis / disaster)

3) Rakhabani (plot of forest land left by consensual decision of the community used as the last resort)

4) Devaranya (plot of forest land for god)

5) Waal (forest land owned by zamindars or temples, may be used for cultivation)

6) Beed (mostly private dense forests used by the community at the time of crisis)

7) Rundh (private dense forests which could be used by the community after paying taxes)

 

c)     Water resources:

 

These include ponds, tanks, bunds, checks, wells, canals, rivers, rivulets etc.  

These CPR, are important for livelihood and income generation of poor people in all the states as is evident below: - 

Extent of dependence of poor and wealthy households on CPRs in dry land India:

(In million adult cattle)

 

State

 

Household category