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. '$. 1 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. 2 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 3 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.$6 4. >oat "##.. "#4.4 ".3 5. !ther 4nimals "6.34 "6.05 '"... To!al Live&!o#' 789.7 789.5 :5.58 5ource6 Civestoc* 2ensus, ,epartment of 4nimal -usbandry D ,airying, &inistry of 4griculture. 2attle and buffaloes are the ma@or species maintained by all sections of the community and unli*e other natural resources, they are %ell distributed among small and large land holders. (hey are ideal for mi?ed farming because of their valuable contribution to human nutrition 9mil* and butter fat:, plant nutrition 9farmyard manure: and energy 9bulloc* po%er:. (he 4 present breedable bovine population under organised breeding programme is ""3.6" million, %hich includes "#.6# million crossbred, 5"."3 million indigenous cattle and 50.# million buffaloes. India also leads in mil* production, %ith ""0 million tonsEyear. (he value of output contributed by livestoc* in #003 ' 04 %as =s. "64,50$ 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 $.33%. India possesses a good number of recognised breeds of cattle, %hich represent less than "5% of the total cattle population. (hese are classified into milch breeds, draft and dual purpose breeds 9(able #:. !ur milch breeds such as >ir, 5ahi%al, =ed 5indhi and (harpar*ar %ere popular even in other countries but their ma@or dra%bac*s %ere productive and reproductive inefficiencies. (he bulloc*s of these breeds %ere very heavy and slo%. (here are many draft breeds, but the co%s of these breeds are lo% mil* yielders, not ade/uate even to feed their calves. F?cept for "0 ' "5% of co%s of good milch breeds, the rest of the cattle yield about #00 ' 350 *g mil* per lactation. -ence, even these elite breeds are being neglected by farmers. (here has been no scope for selection by culling due to sentimental and legal restrictions on co% slaughter. >enerally, these animals have been surviving on crop residues and free graAing on village forests and community pastures, %hile only the %or*ing bulloc*s and high mil*ing co%s %ere temporarily fed %ith supplementary concentrate feed. &ost of these animals maintained by both rich and poor farmers, have been receiving vaccinations and veterinary services, free of cost, from the >overnment. (hus, farmers had an incentive to e?pand their herd siAe %ithout any financial burden, %hile posing a serious threat to the environment and eco'system. (o improve this status, it is necessary to adopt a scientific approach to formulate the cattle management policy, covering the conservation of native breeds, improvement of non' descript cattle, health care services and management of community pastures and graAing. 5heep and goat husbandry, piggery and fishery also have good potential to generate gainful employment in selected areas, provided, the farmers engaged in these activities are supported for bac*%ard and for%ard integration. 5 Ta(le 4* I%$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 6 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 7 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 8 /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 9 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! 10
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 11 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 12 &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 13 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. ðane 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