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MIXED FARMING FOR SUSTAINABLE

LIVELIHOOD OF SMALL FARMERS IN INDIA


Dr. Narayan G. Hegde
BAIF Development Research Foundation, Pune
With about 35 to 40% of the population living in poverty, livelihood security for the rural
poor continues to be a cause of concern in India. Indian economy is heavily dependent on
agriculture even today because about 65% of the population is living in rural areas and over
0% of them are dependent on agriculture and allied activities for their livelihood. !ut of the
total "#$.## million land holders in the country, 64.% are marginal holders %ho o%n less
than " ha and ".5% families are small farmers o%ning bet%een " and # ha. &ore than 50%
of these families are located in arid and semi'arid regions, %here the rainfall is scanty and
erratic. (hese farmers have been gro%ing drought tolerant food crops, mostly millets and
pulses %ith very lo% investment in improved seeds, fertilisers and plant protection measures,
resulting in poor yields and lo% returns. )ragmented land holdings, heavy depletion of soil
productivity, inefficient use of %ater resources, out'dated agricultural production
technologies, unavailability of agricultural credit and lac* of infrastructure for post harvest
management and mar*eting of agricultural produce, are the other factors %hich further
suppress their agricultural production. +nfortunately, these regions have also been neglected
by the scientific and business communities in introducing ne% technologies, high yielding
varieties %hich are resistant to drought and developing necessary infrastructure as %ell as
support services to boost agricultural production and value addition. ,ue to lo% agricultural
productivity, these small and marginal farmers as %ell as about "5 to "% landless families
living in rural areas, are unable to generate remunerative employment and about 40% families
are forced to live in poverty.
)or these small holders and landless, livestoc* has been a source of supplementary income.
-o%ever, over .5% of the animals are uneconomical due to severe genetic erosion,
inade/uate feeding and poor veterinary care. With lo%er crop and livestoc* productivity, the
employment opportunities in the farming and other related sectors are reduced further,
leading to reduction in farm %ages, seasonal employment, malnutrition and migration.
0 #0"3. Invited 1aper. International 2onference on 3Increasing 4gricultural 1roductivity and 5ustainability in
India6 (he )uture We Want7 organised by 8ational Institute of 4dvanced 5tudies 98I45:, in collaboration %ith
&.5. 5%aminathan )oundation, 2hennai, Indian Institute of 5cience 2ampus, ;angalore. <an. '$.
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With lac* of food security, poor families are compelled to migrate to cities in distress,
*eeping their agricultural lands fallo%. 5uch barren lands accelerate soil erosion, run off of
rain %ater, resulting in floods, siltation of %ater bodies and loss of biodiversity and thereby
contributing to global %arming. In the absence of efficient soil and %ater conservation, there
%ill be a severe reduction in the ground %ater table, accelerating the process of denudation of
the eco'system and shortage of drin*ing %ater. ,istress migration %ill also deprive the
%omen and children of their basic needs such as shelter, safe drin*ing %ater and health care,
%hich %ill affect their /uality of life. (he children %ill discontinue their education and end
up as child labour and illiterate unemployed youth of the future. (hus, improving the
agricultural productivity of small land holders can play a *ey role in ensuring food security
and improving the /uality of life in the country.
Indian Green Revol!ion "or Food Se#ri!y
=ealising the urgency of enhancing food production, the >overnment of India had launched
the >reen =evolution programme in the si?ties, through introduction of high yielding
varieties and coordination among organisations engaged in agricultural development.
4lthough >reen =evolution %as successful only in 1un@ab, -aryana and parts of +ttar
1radesh and =a@asthan, this small region could ensure food security for the entire nation.
(heir ma@or focus %as on development of infrastructure for bac*%ard and for%ard lin*ages
for cultivating high yielding varieties of paddy, %heat, maiAe crops and oil seed crops to
some e?tent. 4s a result of >reen =evolution, the food grain production increased from #
million tons in "$60 to ".6.4 million tons in "$$0 and to #4".56 million tons in #0"0. (he
positive impacts of >reen =evolution continued till the "$$0Bs. 5ubse/uently, there %as a
decline in the gro%th of agricultural production, from "0 ' "#% during the pea* of the >reen
=evolution to #.3% during the (enth 1lan 1eriod 9>ovt. of India, #0"":. 2ultivation of high
yielding varieties demanded higher doses of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, more diesel and
electrical po%er to pump %ater for irrigation. (he cost of these three inputs contributed to
"5% of the total cost of inputs in "$.0, %hich increased to 55% in "$$4 and to over 0% in
#005. Increasing use of these inputs %as no more economical and in the absence of ne%er
technologies, the gro%th in agricultural production reduced drastically to less than #%, %hich
had an adverse effect on the purchasing po%er of the poor, due to reduction in employment
opportunities and drop in %age rates. &ost of the other regions %hich have not benefitted
from >reen =evolution, continue to suffer from lo% crop yields, resulting in unemployment,
insecure livelihood and poverty, even today.
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S!ra!egy "or Develo$%en! o" Rain "ed Area&
While the regions e?periencing stagnation in agricultural production after 3 ' 4 decades of
>reen =evolution, re/uire a special pac*age, %hich includes scientific crop rotation, efficient
%ater use and increased use of organic nutrients, the problem of lo% productivity in other
areas %hich are dependent on rainfall for agricultural production, needs to be addressed %ith
an innovative approach to enable the marginal and small farmers to sustain their livelihood.
5ome of the important recommendations for rain'fed areas are effective soil and %ater
conservation through %atershed development, increased use of organic nutrients, introduction
of drought tolerant and short duration crops, efficient use of available %ater resources
through micro'irrigation and mulching, timely tillage operations to conserve moisture and
control %eeds, development of %astelands through tree'based farming and introduction of
appropriate farm tools to improve the efficiency of labour. Inspite of the above measures, it
%ill be e?tremely difficult for the marginal farmers to depend only on crop production for
their livelihood and hence, livestoc* can ma*e significant contribution to bring them out of
poverty.
5mall and marginal farmers as %ell as the landless have been traditionally maintaining
different species of livestoc* as a reliable source of income and cash reserve in times of
emergency. -o%ever, in the absence of superior /uality germplasm and lac* of technical
support to improve the productivity of livestoc*, most of them have been generating meagre
income from livestoc*. +nable to cope up %ith their needs, these farmers try to increase their
herd siAe, %hile causing pressure on fodder and feed resources and contributing to green
house gases.
(herefore, the challenge is to address the problems of marginal farmers by improving the
productivity of rain'fed agriculture and livestoc* o%ned by them, to enable them to enhance
their income, %hile conserving the denuding natural resources and the environment. 5uch a
model of promoting livestoc* development %ith agriculture, *no%n as mi?ed farming, has
several advantages such as efficient use of byproducts li*e crop residues as animal feed and
dung as manure, fodder trees gro%n on field bunds as %ind brea*s as %ell as source of
fodder, bulloc*s for tillage operations and efficient use of spare time to manage both the
activities, %ithout any demand for labour from outside. (o ensure the success of mi?ed
farming, it is necessary to improve the productivity of the livestoc* and develop a sustainable
land use plan depending on the soil productivity and domestic needs. 4s animal husbandry
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demands a large /uantity of fodder, lo% productive land can be profitably used for fodder
production %ith very remote chances of failure. (he programme should also include the
development of efficient value chains, %hich %ill include small farmers as the *ey
sta*eholders.
Live&!o#' in Rral E#ono%y
4nimal -usbandry is the main source of livelihood for small farmers %ho are deprived of
fertile land and assured source of irrigation. 4s per the census of #00., out of 5# million
heads of livestoc* in India, there %ere "$$ million cattle, "05 million buffaloes, "4" million
goats, .# million sheep and "" million pigs. 2attle represented over 3.% of the livestoc*
population. While farmers having access to fodder resources, prefer cattle and buffaloes, the
landless prefer to maintain sheep, goat and poultry. India ran*s first in cattle and buffalo
population, second in goat, third in sheep and seventh in poultry 9(able":. 4lthough the
population of livestoc* during the last "0 years has been stable in the range of 45 million,
the buffalo population has increased by .$"%, %hile the cattle population has reduced by
6.$%. (here has been a significant increase in the population of goats during the last five
decades, %hich is attributed to the decrease in the siAe of land holdings and persistent drought
caused by erratic monsoon, forcing many small farmers to shift from large animals to small
ruminants.
Ta(le )* Live&!o#' +o$la!ion in India
Sr. No. S$e#ie& Live&!o#' ,en&& Gro-!. Ra!e /01
)223 4556 4556 over )223
". 2attle "$.$ "5.# '6.$
#. ;uffalo $.$ $..$ .$"
3. 5heep 5..5 6".5 6.$6
4. >oat "##.. "#4.4 ".3
5. !ther 4nimals "6.34 "6.05 '"...
To!al Live&!o#' 789.7 789.5 :5.58
5ource6 Civestoc* 2ensus, ,epartment of 4nimal -usbandry D ,airying, &inistry of
4griculture.
2attle and buffaloes are the ma@or species maintained by all sections of the community and
unli*e other natural resources, they are %ell distributed among small and large land holders.
(hey are ideal for mi?ed farming because of their valuable contribution to human nutrition
9mil* and butter fat:, plant nutrition 9farmyard manure: and energy 9bulloc* po%er:. (he
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present breedable bovine population under organised breeding programme is ""3.6" million,
%hich includes "#.6# million crossbred, 5"."3 million indigenous cattle and 50.# million
buffaloes. India also leads in mil* production, %ith ""0 million tonsEyear. (he value of
output contributed by livestoc* in #003 ' 04 %as =s. "64,50$ crores, of %hich =s. ""0,05
crores 966.$#%: %as from mil*. Civestoc* has also been providing gainful employment all'
round the year, to over "6 million people, of %hich .0% are %omen. &il* production
accounts for 5.6% of the >,1 %hile the total contribution from 4nimal -usbandry is
$.33%.
India possesses a good number of recognised breeds of cattle, %hich represent less than "5% of
the total cattle population. (hese are classified into milch breeds, draft and dual purpose breeds
9(able #:. !ur milch breeds such as >ir, 5ahi%al, =ed 5indhi and (harpar*ar %ere popular
even in other countries but their ma@or dra%bac*s %ere productive and reproductive
inefficiencies. (he bulloc*s of these breeds %ere very heavy and slo%. (here are many draft
breeds, but the co%s of these breeds are lo% mil* yielders, not ade/uate even to feed their
calves. F?cept for "0 ' "5% of co%s of good milch breeds, the rest of the cattle yield about #00
' 350 *g mil* per lactation. -ence, even these elite breeds are being neglected by farmers.
(here has been no scope for selection by culling due to sentimental and legal restrictions on
co% slaughter. >enerally, these animals have been surviving on crop residues and free graAing
on village forests and community pastures, %hile only the %or*ing bulloc*s and high mil*ing
co%s %ere temporarily fed %ith supplementary concentrate feed. &ost of these animals
maintained by both rich and poor farmers, have been receiving vaccinations and veterinary
services, free of cost, from the >overnment. (hus, farmers had an incentive to e?pand their
herd siAe %ithout any financial burden, %hile posing a serious threat to the environment and
eco'system. (o improve this status, it is necessary to adopt a scientific approach to formulate
the cattle management policy, covering the conservation of native breeds, improvement of non'
descript cattle, health care services and management of community pastures and graAing.
5heep and goat husbandry, piggery and fishery also have good potential to generate gainful
employment in selected areas, provided, the farmers engaged in these activities are supported
for bac*%ard and for%ard integration.
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Ta(le 4* I%$or!an! Indian Breed& o" ,a!!le
Breed& Na%e&
Mil#. Breed&* 4verage mil* production6
above "500 *gElactation
>ir, 5ahi%al, =ed 5indhi, (harpar*ar
Dal:$r$o&e Breed& *
i. 4verage productivity breeds 6 4verage
mil* production bet%een "000'"500
*gElactation
ii. Co% productivity breeds6 4verage mil*
production less than "000 *gElactation
-aryana, Gan*re@, =athi, &inari,
!ngole and ,angi
&e%ati and ,eoni
Drag.!:+r$o&e Breed&6 4verage mil*
production less than 500 *gElactation
8agor, ;achaur, &alvi, -alli*ar,
4mritmahal, Ghillar, ;argur, 1an%ar,
5iri, >aolao, Grishna Halley, Gan*atha,
Gherigarh and Ghangayam
5ource6 4non. "$$..
+er"or%an#e o" Dairy ,a!!le
In spite of achieving the highest mil* production in the %orld, the performance of our cattle
has been e?tremely poor. It can be observed from (able 3 that the average mil* yield of
cattle in India is far belo% the yield in other countries. 8o doubt, the average mil* yield of
cattle has increased by "00% over #5 years, bet%een "$65 and "$$3, but it is still less than
#5% of the yield in Furope.
Ta(le 6* ;ield o" Mil'ing ,o-& in di""eren! ,on!rie&
,on!ry Average ;ield /<g=La#!a!ion1
)2>):>9 )226
4sia 5"# ""#5
India 4# $.
<apan 4"$3 60$#
Israel 46#5 $#$"
Furope #6# 4#33
)rance #55# 5#$
,enmar* 3.3$ 6#.3
+.G. 34.. 546#
Nor!. A%eri#a
2anada #5# 5$3
+.5.4. 35"$ .03
!ceania #364 350
4ustralia #""# 445"
It can be observed from (able 4 that the average mil* yield of indigenous breeds of cattle has
been around ".$ litres as compared to crossbreds 96..5 lit: and buffaloes 94.50 lit:. (he
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above yield of indigenous cattle does not include the yield of draft breeds and nondescript
co%s %hich are hardly mil*ed due to lo% yields. -o%ever, they compete for fodder and
feed, resulting in huge shortage of feed resources. (he future challenge is to cope up %ith the
gro%ing demand for mil* %ithout increasing the livestoc* population, amidst the shortage of
fodder and feed resources.
Ta(le 7* E?$e#!ed Gro-!. o" Live&!o#' +o$la!ion and Mil' ;ield
Year
455>:53 454):44
Ty$e o"
Ani%al&
+o$la!ion
/%ill.1
+rod#!ion
/%ill. !on&1
@e!
Average
/'g=day1
+o$la!ion
/%ill.1
+rod#!ion
/%ill. !on&1
@e!
Average
/'g=day1
Indigenous #."5 #0.#63 ".$ 3".#64 #6.#4 #.#
2rossbred #.50 ".6# 6..5 "#.34. 44..03 ..$
;uffalo 3#.64 53.$6 4.50 40.06" $...$ 5.$4
>oat '' 4.0.3 '' '' 6.5"# ''
,on&erva!ion o" Vani&.ing Indian Breed&
4mong 30 ma@or Indian breeds of cattle, as sho%n in (able #, there are only four milch
breeds, %hich are under severe neglect. (here are a fe% dual'purpose breeds and the rest are
draft breeds. With the modernisation in agriculture, bulloc* po%er is losing its importance.
!n the other hand, small farmers cannot ma*e optimum use of bulloc*s and hence, prefer to
hire tractor services, %henever necessary. (hus, %ith the diminishing demand for bulloc*
po%er, the farmers are not ade/uately motivated to conserve these draft breeds. In the
absence of a clear policy and programme for conservation, these breeds are sub@ect to heavy
genetic erosion.
=ealising the gro%ing population of lo% productive non'descript cattle population, the
>overnment of India promoted the Intensive 2attle ,evelopment 1rogramme %ay bac* in the
60Bs to upgrade them through crossbreeding %ith e?otic mil* breeds such as <ersey or
-olstein )riesian. While a %ell planned cross breeding programme, along %ith upgrading of
buffaloes could significantly enhance the mil* production in the country, dairy farmers are
encountered %ith several ne% challenges to sustain the gro%th and profitability. (hese
problems need to be addressed to enhance the mil* production %hile enabling small farmers
to increase their profit margin. )ortunately, %ith the estimated demand for mil* increasing
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from the present /uantity of ""0 million tons to ".5 million tons by #0##, dairy farmers are
assured of remunerative price for their produce.
+ro(le%& o" !.e +oor Dairy Far%er&

)or involvement of poor dairy farmers in successful dairy husbandry programme, it is
necessary to address their problems, %hich are presented belo%6
1oor /uality animals re/uiring genetic upgradationI
1oor access to breeding and health care servicesI
8utritional deficiency due to shortage of feed and fodderI
Ignorance about Aoonotic diseases such as ;rucellosis, (;, etc.
Cac* of technical guidance to adopt good husbandry practicesI
Inefficient mil* collection and mar*etingI
1oor lin*age %ith research institutionsI
+navailability of credit facilities.
+re&en! S!a!& o" Ani%al H&(andry Servi#e&
,elivery of animal husbandry and veterinary services free of cost to farmers, has been
accepted as the responsibility of the 5tate >overnments, since independence. (hese services
included breeding of cattle and buffaloes through 4I, preventive vaccinations, treatment of
sic* animals and e?tension services to promote ne% technologies. -o%ever, in the absence
of greater mobility, most of the services %ere confined to the periphery of the veterinary
clinics established at the bloc* level. With the shortage of /ualified veterinary graduates,
most of these technical services %ere gradually assigned to semi's*illed livestoc*
supervisors. In the absence of efficient services, farmers in interior areas could not ta*e
advantage of the programmes, to improve the productivity of their livestoc*. Infrastructure
for mar*eting of mil* has been very %ea*, due to poor performance of the cooperatives.
(hus, the progress of livestoc* development, particularly dairy husbandry, could benefit a
small population in selected regions, %here mil* cooperatives %ere efficient, %hile a large
section of small farmers could not ta*e advantage. In case of dairy husbandry, lin*age of the
dairy farmers %ith the processing unit is very critical.
4vailability of fodder and feed can play a very important role as about .0% of the cost of
dairy husbandry is on feed. (here are several hurdles for the small farmers to procure good
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/uality feed at a competitive price. While there is a severe shortage of animal feeds, farmers
in fodder surplus areas are even burning crop residues or selling for alternate uses at
substantially lo%er prices. In the absence of organised supply, the local traders ta*e undue
advantage by supplying inferior /uality feed at high cost. In such a situation, dairy farming
can become uneconomical in spite of superior technical inputs. -ence, the above problems
need to be addressed, for transforming dairy husbandry into an important source of livelihood
for small farmers.
S!ra!egy "or Develo$%en! o" ,a!!le and B""aloe& "or Dairy H&(andry
2onsidering the re/uirements of small dairy farmers, the follo%ing activities need to be
initiated to boost livestoc* production.
). Gene!i# I%$rove%en!

).). +rod#!ion o" S$erior Aali!y Bll&
)or genetic improvement, the first step is to produce superior /uality bull mothers
and bull calves.
)armers maintaining elite herds of cattle and buffalo can also be involved in bull
calf production through planned breeding and buy'bac* guarantee.
4pplication of 5uper !vulation and Fmbryo (ransfer technology for production
of superior bull mothers and bull calves.
1rogeny testing of sires should be underta*en to select sires having ability to
transmit superior genetic traits.
).4. +rod#!ion o" S$erior Aali!y Se%en
5emen freeAing laboratories should be certified for /uality and disease free statusI
&inimum genetic and health standards should be prescribed for bulls to be used
for semen collection.

).6. ,on&erva!ion o" Gene!i# Re&or#e&
Important native breeds of cattle and buffaloes should be conserved through the follo%ing
activities6
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5tudy on economics and utility of different breedsI
Incentive for maintaining elite animals of native breedsI
Fstablishment of bull mother farms by procuring elite females from fieldI
+se of se?ed embryos for multiplication of elite progenyI
4. Breeding Servi#e& and Manage%en!

4.). Training and Regla!ion o" AI Te#.ni#ian&*
5*ill oriented training for paravets to improve breeding efficiency6
=egular monitoring of the services of 1aravets and vets to maintain high
technical standards, %ithout e?ploiting farmersI
1eriodic training of 1aravets and farmers on good animal husbandry practices.

4.4. S$$or! Servi#e&
(imely supply of inputs such as li/uid nitrogen, froAen semen, vaccines, first
aid *it, feed concentrates, mineral mi?ture and forage seeds to the paravets for
on%ard supply to dairy farmers, through local ,airy )ederation or 8>!
engaged in livestoc* husbandry.
4.6. Heal!. ,are
1rivatisation of health care services, through )armersB )ederationsI
5upport for private veterinary practice in close association %ith paravetsI
Fstablishment of ,isease Investigation laboratories by the ,airy )ederation or
private agencies for effective treatment of animalsI
5trengthening of =esearch and ,evelopment facilities for disease diagnosis,
production of effective vaccines and control of critical diseasesI
=egulatory role of 5tate 4nimal -usbandry ,epartments in disease surveillance
and promotion of clean mil* production.
4.7. S!ra!egy "or Feed Manage%en!
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E""i#ien! Manage%en! o" ,ro$ Re&ide&* 1romote ne% food crop varieties having
higher grain yield %ith stal*s of superior fodder /uality. 1lant breeders and
agronomists should be sensitised to breed and promote dual'purpose varieties of
sorghum, maiAe, ba@ra, and a %ide range of legumes.
I%$rove%en! o" N!ri!ional Vale&* 1resently, the ma@or /uantity of dry matter is
contributed by paddy stra%s, %heat stra%, maiAe stal*, sugarcane bagasse and trash,
%hich are of poor nutritional value, due to high fibre content. With ne% techni/ues,
the /uality of such fodder should be improved. (his %ill also help in augmenting the
fodder shortage.
Develo$%en! o" ,o%%ni!y @a&!eland&* Ffforts should be made to develop
pasture lands involving local communities through soil and %ater conservation,
introduction of improved legumes and grasses, forage tree species and prevention of
graAing.
In#rea&e in Forage ;ield&* 1resently, improved practices are not follo%ed for
cultivating forage crops. -ence, efforts are needed to breed superior fodder
varieties, produce and supply good /uality seeds, promote use of soil amendments,
biofertilisers and forage harvesting e/uipment.
,o%$le!e Feed Ra!ion&* (o overcome nutritional imbalance in the field and to
facilitate small farmers and landless to maintain their livestoc* under balanced
feeding, decentralised complete feed production units can be established.
Fodder Ban'&* Fstablishment of fodder ban*s in fodder scarcity regions through
,airy )ederations and 1eopleBs !rganisations can help small farmers to feed their
livestoc* during scarcity. In paddy and %heat gro%ing areas %here the stra% is
%asted, facilities for compacting stra% can be installed and arrangements can be
made to collect and pac* them. )odder ban*s can play a critical role in timely
supply of feed to livestoc* o%ners during the years of drought. (he fodder ban*s
can also ta*e up the production of complete feed for local distribution.

In!rod#!ion o" (y:$a&& +ro!ein Feed* (echni/ues have been developed to avoid
%astage of nutrients by feeding by'pass protein and fat. 5upport should be provided
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to establish by'pass proteinEfat production units particularly in mil* sheds %here
high /uality milch animals are maintained.
Red#!ion o" Herd SiBe* It is necessary to create a%areness among farmers to
reduce herd siAe and ensure optimum feeding instead of maintaining a large number
of underfed animals.

S$$or! "or S%all Far%er&* )or calf rearing, feed subsidy, insurance coverage,
venture capital, etc. may be given to ensure their active role in dairy development
and in rearing of small ruminants.

4.9. Nodal Agen#ie& "or Ba#'-ard and For-ard Lin'age&
(he responsibility of providing bac*'up services to paravets and veterinarians
can be assigned to mil* processing units, dairy federations, voluntary
organisations or private entrepreneurs in the region.
(hese nodal agencies can also ta*e up the production of critical inputs such as
froAen semen, cattle feed, forage seeds, etc. re/uired by the farmers.
(here is a need to develop a value chain, by establishing coordination among all
the sta*eholders to enable them to play an efficient and transparent role for
improving the production and profit margins of the farmers.
4.>. Manage%en! o" ,lled Ani%al&
1resently, small farmers are not able to get rid of unproductive or sic* animals
suffering from contagious diseases. 5uch un%anted animals not only put
pressure on feed resources, but also spread diseases. (herefore, suitable
arrangements should be made for disposal of the culled animals by %ay of
establishing panjarpoles through voluntary organisations or any other means.
F?port of animals to neighbouring countries desiring to procure, can be
permitted and coordinated through the nodal agency E 4-,.
6. +ro#e&&ing and Mar'e!ing o" +rod#e
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&ini dairies should be established in small to%ns %here large dairies are not
viable. (his %ill ensure transparency and efficiency.
&il* processing units should assume a prominent role in ,airy Halue 2hain
management by promoting breeding services, input supply and health care
provision, apart from collection of mil*. (he farmers should be trained in clean
mil* production.
Develo$%en! o" O!.er S$e#ie& o" Live&!o#'
5heep, goats, pigs and fishery also have the potential to provide gainful employment in
selected areas. )or instance, piggery is an e?cellent source of livelihood in the 8orth'Fastern
states. 4 family %ith 6' pigs can be assured of food security. )amilies maintaining ' "0
goats can come out of poverty, %ithin a period of " ' #4 months. 5imilarly, a floc* of 40 '
60 birds of indigenous poultry breeds can contribute to the income substantially.
Innova!ive A$$roa#. o" BAIF
;4I) has been a leader in ta*ing up dairy husbandry as a po%erful tool for generating gainful
employment in =ural India. ;4I)Bs strategy has been to use the non'descript unproductive
local co%s and buffaloes %ith superior /uality e?otic germplasm to produce high yielding
crossbred co%s. ;4I) adopted froAen semen technology to ensure the use of elite germplasm
at the doorsteps of farmers. Fngagement of school drop outs for providing breeding, each
covering "500 to #000 families and other essential services, not only provided employment to
the local youth but also helped them to closely interact %ith illiterate dairy farmers and assist
them in adoption of good management practices. (his innovative model %as recognised by
the >overnment of India in "$.$, enabling ;4I) to establish 2attle ,evelopment 2entres
across the country %ith the support of I=,1 Infrastructural )und of the >overnment of India
and to e?pand the programme through 4000 centres across "6 states covering over 40 la*h
families in 60,000 villages. (he programme covers breeding of cattle and buffaloes,
promotion of fodder cultivation, minor veterinary care such as de%orming and vaccination
and mobilisation of farmers to develop their organisations to collect mil* and supply to the
local dairies.
(his programme turned out to be successful as farmers %ith lo% yielding nondescript
animals, %ere able to produce high yielding co%s and buffaloes %ithout any capital
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investment. With the increasing demand for mil* and higher price realisation, farmers
maintaining 3 co%s %ere able to earn =s. 40,000 ' 45,000 per year and come out of
poverty. 5uch high yielding co%s and buffaloes produced at the doorsteps of the farmers,
today, fetch over =s.40,000 to =s.60,000 and truly serve as security to tide over financial
crisis. (here is no other programme %herein the poor have an opportunity to build such high
value assets %ithout any ris* or capital investment. 1resently, the mil* produced by the
farmers participating in ;4I) programme, contributes to over =s. 4000 crores to the national
>,1 every year.
;4I) has also initiated an eco'friendly >oat ,evelopment 1rogramme %herein 6 ' goat
*eeping %omen form a group to maintain a superior /uality breeding buc* to ensure genetic
improvement, %hile a trained local paravet mentors 6 0 such groups and provides critical
services such as de%orming, vaccination, castration, guidance on fodder production and
feeding, periodic monitoring of gro%th and lin*ages %ith the mar*et. 4s a result of these
interventions, the goat *eepers are no% able to enhance their income by #50 ' 300%, due to
prolific *idding, high %eight of *ids at birth and at various stages of gro%th, lo% mortality
and better price realisation. =igorous culling to restrict the herd siAe depending on fodder
availability and promotion of stall feeding to avoid biotic pressure on the eco'system, are
helpful to *eep this programme eco'friendly. (he impact of this programme on livelihood
and attitude of the goat *eepers can be observed in " 0 #4 months. ;4I) is presently
operating this programme in the states of =a@asthan, &aharashtra, <har*hand, West ;engal,
!rissa and (ripura %ith good success.
Red#!ion in Green Ho&e Ga& E%i&&ion
Civestoc* has an adverse impact on environment. )irstly, livestoc* demands huge /uantities
of fodder and feed. 4s there is a severe shortage of cultivated fodder and feed resources,
farmers let their livestoc* for free graAing on community lands and forests. 5uch stray
livestoc* not only denude the vegetation but also accelerate soil erosion. 5econdly,
ruminants produce methane and carbon dio?ide during digestion. (he dung releases methane
and nitrous o?ide during anaerobic decomposition. It is estimated that livestoc* contributes
"% of the carbon dio?ide e/uivalent green house gases in the atmosphere, %hich is a serious
concern. -o%ever, livestoc* being a ma@or source of livelihood and food security for small
and marginal farmers in most of the developing countries, it is necessary to find solutions to
reduce their ill'effects on global %arming and ensure a sustainable future for poor farmers.
14
E%i&&ion o" Me!.ane
(he global methane production in "$ %as in the range of 400 ' 600 million tons per annum
of %hich livestoc* contributed about #%, amounting to 0 million tonsEannum. When the
feed reaches the rumen, it is converted into short chain fatty acids, microbial biomass and
fermentative gases, mainly carbon dio?ide and methane, through microbial degradation,
*no%n as enteric fermentation. (he proportion of these components produced in rumen
varies to a great e?tent, %ith the type of feed and microbes 9;lummel, et al #00":. (he
variation in digested outputs occurs due to the type of feed, level of inta*e, retention time in
rumen and type of microbes present. !n an average, each adult co% emits about "5 ' #0 *g
methane in a year. With about "00 million livestoc*, +54 emits 5.5 million tons of
methaneEyear. India has 45 million livestoc* and these are li*ely to release proportionately
higher /uantity of methane due to consumption of inferior /uality fibrous fodder.
S#o$e "or Red#ing Me!.ane +rod#!ion
,epending on different species of microbes, nutrients and other chemical substances present
in the feed, the degree of fermentation %ill vary and the volume of gases released, %ill also
change. (hus, there is scope for reducing the production of gases by proper manipulation of
these factors.
Balan#ed Feeding* Ffficiency of microbe has a significant impact on production of various
products, particularly gases. While the short chain fatty acids provide .0 ' 5% of energy
re/uirement, microbial biomass provide .0 ' "00% amino acid re/uirements of ruminants.
With proper feed selection, supplementation and balancing of various ingredients, it is
possible to ma?imise the conversion of feed into microbial biomass and short chain amino
acids, %hile reducing green house gases. With high protein diet, formation of gases can be
reduced significantly, %hile high fibre content in diet can increase the production of gases.
(hese gases are released in the atmosphere through digestive and respiratory systems.
I%$roving Feed Aali!y* 4 ma@ority of the livestoc* in India is lo% productive. (hey are
under'nourished and survive on open graAing or on poor /uality, high fibre roughages. (hese
animals release more methane than high yielding animals, %ho consume better /uality feed.
(o reduce the ill'effects of poor /uality feed, brea*ing of lignin in roughages before feeding
to livestoc* through various methods should be e?plored. 5team treatment of sugarcane
15
bagasse and paddy stra% and urea ' molasses treatment of paddy stra% are some good
e?amples. 2onversion of high fibre grasses into silage may be easy and beneficial. Fven
simple chopping of fodder before feeding livestoc*, can reduce methane production by '
"0%.
Good Heal!. ,ondi!ion&* 4nimals suffering from diseases also release higher volume of
methane compared to healthy animals. 4s most of the farmers are una%are of the threat
posed by their livestoc* to the environment, no efforts are being made either to reduce the
herd siAe or to control methane emission. (hese animals further demand fodder, feed and
%ater, thereby creating pressure on the natural resources %hich are already scarce 9-egde,
#0"0:.
E""i#ien#y o" Mi#ro(e&* It is presumed that there are a %ide range of microbes involved in
degeneration of biomass. (he efficiency of different species and strains is li*ely to vary
%idely. (hus, there is scope to identify various species and their strains of micro'organisms
present in rumen %hich are efficient convertors of feed into amino acids and microbial
biomass. 5uch microbes found even outside the rumen, can be introduced into the rumen to
improve digestion in ruminants.
Me!.ane a(&or(ing Mi#ro(e&* (here are also microbes %hich have the capacity to absorb
methane and convert it into other products. 5uch selected micro'organisms capable of
feeding on methane, can also be incorporated in the rumen flora for reducing the emission of
methane %hile improving the productivity and profitability of livestoc* husbandry.
Me!.ane Tra$&* &ost of the lo% productive livestoc* generally go out for graAing during
the day and return to the shed in the evening. (hey release significant volume of methane
and carbon dio?ide during the night %hen housed in a cattle shed. (rapping these gases
inside the barn by fi?ing efficient filters, may be possible by using modern technologies.
Dng Manage%en!* 4nimal dung and urine also release methane and nitrous o?ide.
&ethane is generally released through anaerobic decomposition, %hen dung is heaped as
manure for a longer period. In countries li*e India, farmers have been follo%ing the practice
of dumping dung in manure pits for 3 ' 6 months for better decomposition, thereby
contributing substantially to emission of methane. ;etter management of farmyard manure
and compost pits can also reduce emission of methane in the atmosphere to a great e?tent.
16

+se of dung for production of biogas is the best option to convert this threat into an
opportunity. (he old models of biogas plants %ere inconvenient to manage in congested
residential areas. 8e% compact models have no% been developed %hich are ready for %ider
replication.
,on!rol o" Live&!o#' +o$la!ion* (he aim should be to reduce livestoc* by improving the
productivity of the animals, so that %ith small number of livestoc*, farmers can earn higher
income. (his can happen by producing genetically superior /uality animals and maintaining
them %ell %ith balanced feeding.
Re"eren#e&
". 4non. "$$6. 8ational Civestoc* 1olicy 1erspectives6 =eport of 5teering >roup.
1lanning 2ommission, >overnment of India.
#. 4non. #005. 4nnual =eport #004'#005. ,epartment of 4nimal -usbandry and
,airying, &inistry of 4griculture, >overnment of India. 8e% ,elhi.
3. >overnment of India, #0"". )aster, 5ustainable and &ore Inclusive >ro%th 0 4n
4pproach to the JII )ive Kear 1lan, 1lanning 2ommission, 8e% ,elhi.
4. 4non. "$$.. ,airy India Kearboo* HI. 8e% ,elhi.
5. ;lummel, &., Grishna, 8. and !rs*ov, F.=. #00". 5upplementation strategies for
optimiAing ruminal carbon and nitrogen utlisation6 2oncepts and approaches.
1roceedings of the "0
th
4nimal 8utrition 2onference6 Garnal, India. =evie% 1apers,
8ovember $'""6 "0'#3.
6. -egde, 8.>. #0"0. &itigating >lobal Warming %hile providing 5ustainable
Civelihood through Integrated )arming 5ystems6 F?periences of ;4I). International
2onference on >lobal Warming6 4griculture, 5ustainable ,evelopment and 1ublic
Ceadership. 4hmedabad, India. &ar ""'"36 "6 pp.
17

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