Livestock Sector in India: Recent Trends and Progress

Livestock sector includes animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries sector are considerable major sectors. It plays an important role in the national economy and in the socio-economic development of the country. It also plays important role in the rural economy as supplementing family incomes and generating gainful employment in the rural sector, particularly among the landless labourers, small and marginal farmers and women's.

Since India's independence, it has experienced considerable economic growth and structural change; a trend accelerated by its structural reforms which began in 1991. These changes are also reflected in trends in its livestock sector which has shown considerable growth in recent decades especially since the late 1990s. There have also been major changes in the production of the Indian livestock sector.

Population of Livestock and Its Importance

According to 17th censes of the livestock, their existing population is 485002. It is increasing day by day due to its importance as an alternative source of income and food also. The importance of livestock in India goes beyond the function of food production. It is an important source of draught power, manure for crop production and fuel for domestic use. Thus, by minimizing use of nonrenewable energy, livestock make a positive contribution to the economic development. Livestock sector is an important source of income for the farmers and rural poor peoples. The growth in the livestock subsector is expected to contribute to poverty alleviation, as the livestock elements are largely concentrated among the marginal and small farmers in rural areas. Near about 70% of livestock market in India is owned by 67% of small and marginal farmers and by the land less. Livestock are an important source of income for the rural poor also. This sector contributed important share in export of Indian international trade. Recently the livestock subsector playing very important role in poverty alleviation in rural area. The livestock sector contributed over 5.26 per cent to the total GDP during 2006-07. According to estimates of the Central Statistical Organization (CSO), the value of output from livestock and fisheries sectors together at current prices was about Rs.2,82,779 crore during 2007-08 which is about 31.6 per cent of the value of the output of Rs.8,94,420 crore from agriculture & allied Sector.

Production of Milk

India continues to be the largest producer of milk in the world and India produced 13.1 per cent of the total milk produced in the world. Hence, India has attained the first rank in milk production in the world. At present the first five countries in the world producing maximum milk are India, USA, Russia, Germany and France. At the beginning production of milk was only 17 million tonnes (MT) in 1950-51 in India. Now it is increased to 108.5 million tonnes in 2008-09. World milk production is estimated at 693 million tonnes during 2007-08 and Indian milk production stands at 104.8 million tonnes. Despite a higher growth rate, the per capita availability of milk in India is 252 grams per day is lower than the world average 265 grams per day.

This has not only placed the country on top in the world, but also represents sustained growth in the availability of milk and milk products for the growing population of the country. Concentrated dairy products such as skimmed milk continues to be the largest item of export, which together accounts for nearly 78% of net milk and milk product exports during 2007-08.

Poultry and Egg

Poultry is one of the fastest growing segments of the agricultural sector in India today. Their growth rate has been rising at 8 to 10 percent per annum. As a result, India is now the world's fifth largest egg producer and the eighteenth largest producer of broilers. Table eggs and broiler meat are the major end products of the poultry sector in India. The organized sector of poultry industry is contributing nearly 70% of the total output and the rest 30% in the unorganized sector in India. The Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra producing nearly 70% of the country's egg production. Presently production of eggs is estimated to number about 37 billion, that of broilers 895 million, and that of poultry meat 735,000 tonnes. Egg production has increased from 21 billion in 1990-91 to 51 billion numbers in 2006-07 and 53.5 billion numbers in 2008. India ranks fifth in the world with annual egg production of 1.61 million tones. Poultry exports are mostly to Maldives and Oman. Indian poultry meat products have good markets in Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Fish Production

India has a about 8041 km of coastline, and about 5.70 million ha of fresh water area suitable for fisheries production. Fishing, aquaculture and allied activities are reported to have provided livelihood to over 14 million persons in 2006-07. In 2001 overall fish production was 5666 thousand tonnes it gradually increasing continuously. At present, India's total fish production is about 76.21 thousand tonnes.

This sector has great potential to export their fish and fish product also. Since 1991, overall export of fish is raised at considerable rate. According to the data provided by ministry of agriculture and commerce of India, there export of fish and fish product increased from last ten years. In 1991 India has exported 140 thousand tonnes of fish and fish products but till it reached to 541 thousands tonnes its money value is Rs. 7621 crore in 2008.

Meat and Meat Products

The meat products industry in India is largely in the un-organized sector. With rapid urbanization, higher income levels and changes in lifestyle, market for scientifically produced and hygienically packed meat and meat products are expanding rapidly. Today, the increasing demand of the meat and meat products for in domestic and foreign market, particularly to the Gulf and West Asia and neighboring countries. In 2003 India had a livestock population of 470 million that included 205 million cattle and 90 million buffaloes. Cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goat, pigs and poultry are the types of animals, which are generally used for production of meat.

There is a huge scope for expanding exports, especially in buffalo and poultry meat, eggs and dairy products. Slaughter rate for cattle as a whole is 20%, for buffaloes it is 41%, pigs 99%, sheep 30% and 40% for goats. The country has 3,600 slaughterhouses, 9 modern abattoirs and 171 meat-processing units licensed under the meat products order. The production of meat has increased 1.9 million tonnes to 23 million tonnes from 2001 to 2007.

In meat and meat processing sector, poultry meat is the fastest growing animal protein in India. The estimated production of meat was 6.5 million tonnes during 2007-08. Per capita consumption increased from 870 grams in 2000 and expected to reach 2 Kg during 2009. According to APEDA, the export of buffalo meat was increased from 343817.08 tonnes (value Rs 1536.77crore) in 2003-04, to 483478 tonnes (Rs.3549.70 crore) in 2007-08. The export of sheep/goat meat is increased from 16820.53 tonnes (Rs 110.39 crore) in 2003-04 to 8908 tonnes (Rs.134.09 crore) in 2007-08. The processed meat export was 986.13 tonnes (Rs 7.63 crore) in 2003-04 and now it is 1245 tonnes (value Rs 12.96 crore). The export of poultry products was 415228.17 tonnes (Rs 202.40 crore) in 2003-04 it is also increased near about 1355246 tonnes (Rs 401.08 crore) in 2007-08.

Benefits of Livestock Sector Developments in India

Animal Husbandry sector provides large self-employment opportunities. Presuming that one family member is employed in looking after the livestock, 25 million people are estimated to be employed with the livestock rearing activity. This sector is playing very important role in the rural economy as support sector of the economy. Especially 70 million rural households primarily, small and marginal farmers and landless labourers in the country are getting employment opportunities in dairy. Dairying has become an important secondary source of income for millions of rural families.

Poultry is also another way of getting food and food security in India. Apart from food security it has provides employment to about 1.5 million people. Livestock Sector not only provides essential protein and nutritious human diet through milk, eggs, meat etc but also plays an important role in utilization of non-edible agricultural by-products. Livestock also provides raw material/by products such as hides and skins, blood, bone, fat etc.

This provides subsidiary occupation to a large section of the society particularly to the people living in the drought prone, hilly, tribal and other remote areas where crop production on its own may not be capable of engaging them fully. In the adverse climatic conditions and national calamities like drought, flood etc., animal husbandry practices shall be proved to be boon for sustaining the livelihood of the landless and marginal farmers in the state.

Indicators of Livestock Sustainability

The social indicators proposed deal with several issues: i) Multi-functionality (multi-activity of producers, maintenance of the craft tradition on the transformation of the products, and searching for new marketing channels, among others); ii) Membership in professional associations and level of participation; iii) Implication on local social activities; iv) Social welfare (especially related with working issues); and v) Continuity of the goats livestock activity (possibilities for continuation of the farm, farmer’s age, adaptation to innovations, educational and agricultural training levels).

1. Multifunctionality. This group of indicators is composed by: (i) Economic diversity and diversification: a complex indicator that assesses other activities carried out by the farmer on his farm: other livestock species, agricultural crops, forestry, hunting and rural tourism activities. This indicator also evaluates other economic activities carried out by the farmer outside the farm. (ii) Maintaining tradition in processing milk: this indicator assesses the fact of transforming raw material in some traditional products. (iii) Marketing capability: saling milk to local artesanal cheese-makers or a livestock cooperative; or his elaborated products. (iv) Quality acknowledgment products: this indicator assesses if the productions have any official certification of quality and if the products have received any awards or at least being recognized by the local community for their quality; (v) Letting the farm for leisure time: this is an indicator complex designed to meet the possibilities offered by the farm to be used for non-agricultural uses: agro tourism, hunting, sport activities, open days, which contributed to the maintenance of roads and the preservation of the traditional architectural heritage; (vi) Employment generation: this indicator evaluates the structure and type of manpower (El Aich and Waterhouse, 1999; Reseau d’Agriculture Durable, 2001).

2. Associationism. The Associationism index is used to measure the membership to professional associations related to goat activities (breeders’ association, cooperative), and the degree of involvement in the activities of these associations. The level of this indicator will be higher if the farmer belongs to professional associations, being active within them, or working as a staff (Gonzálvez Pérez, 2001; Vilain, 2008).

3. Farmers implications in local life. This indicator assesses the level of participation of farmer in local social activities, both socially and economically speaking, includes: (i) Participation in social activities that is the active involvement of farmer in any non-professional social organization (sport, cultural or political activities), as a membership or a staff. (ii) Participation in the local economic life: a complex indicator that gets positive appreciation in case the farmer lived in an urban area and made his purchases in local shops, participating actively in their economy (Vilain, 2008).

4. Social welfare. This index assesses welfare, both in working matters and some other aspects linked to daily life. The working welfare is a complex indicator that takes into account: (i) the Perception that the farmer has about his work, (ii) the Perception of his income, (iii) the Possibility to have time for leisure, (iv) the Length of the workday and finally (v) the Reasons why he become a farmer (because inherited the farm, or it is a profitable activity, or because he likes this activity). Other aspects affecting social welfare can be mentioned: (i) the Difficulty of access and the distance to the exploitation (ii) the Cooperation with other farmers (iii) the Satisfaction and access to agricultural and livestock services and finally (iv)the Access to other social services (schools, health centres, roads, etc.) (Reseau d’Agriculture Durable, 2001; Gonzálvez, 2001; Murillo et al., 2004).

 5. Continuity of activity. One of the major problems that the goat sector has, especially in less developed areas, is the lack of skilled labour and generational relay. The low quality of life (Castel et al., 2007) and the short appreciation that this activity has for the whole society (Calatrava and Sayadi, 1999) are also a problem. This is a complex indicator composed by: (i) the Continuity of farm in the medium term, by the actual farmer or his family (ii) the Age of the farmer; (iii) the Ownership situation; (iv) the Degree of adaptation to changes in the sector (institutional and technological innovations) and finally (v) Training, a complex indicator including the education level, training courses, etc (Vilain, 2008; Mas de Noguera, 2003).

ORGANIC ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

DEFINITION: Organic animal husbandry is defined as a system of livestock production that promotes the use of organic and biodegradable inputs from the ecosystem in terms of animal nutrition, animal’s health, animal housing and breeding.It deliberately avoids use of synthetic inputs such as drugs, feed additives and genetically engineered breeding inputs.

Organic Animal husbandry is as a system designed to provide livestock with comfortable and stress-free living in accordance with their natural needs, that promotes the use of certified organic and biodegradable inputs from the environment in terms of animal nutrition, animal’s health, animal housing and breeding and deliberately avoids use of synthetic inputs such as drugs, feed additives and genetically engineered breeding inputs. 

Organic Animal husbandry is one of the areas where the skills of organic farmers are most important and most frequently called upon. 

OBJECTIVES OF ORGANIC ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

1.     To raise animals in a system that takes into consideration the wider issues of environmental pollution, human health on consumption of animal products allowing them to meet their basic behavioral needs and reduce stress.

2.     Diversify in keeping as many types of livestock on the holding as each furnishes different nutrients at the household level.For example special attention should be given to rabbits and poultry as income generated from this enterprise goes directly to the disadvantaged segments of the population e.g. women and children.Their nitrogen rich manure is used to increase vegetable production in the kitchen gardens thus improving the family diet.

3.     Exploit the natural behavior of animals in their production systems to reduce stress e.g. chicken like perching at night and perching rails should be provided for this purpose.They should also be raised in deep litter system that allows them to scratch for ants and worms and dust bathe.Dark secluded nest should be provided as the like laying in dark secluded places.Goats being browsers in nature like having their forage suspended high enough so that they can attain an upright posture e.t.c.

4.     Use of low external input which lessen the cost of production and allow for a sustainable system of production since most materials can be recycled in the farm and also locally available

5.     Bridging of nutrients gap in soil, crops and animals i.e. animals feed on crops and cultivated crops by products.The animal’s waste in form of farmyard manure is composted and taken back to the soil to replenish the lost soil nutrients through cultivation.This ensures the completion of nutrient cycle in the ecosystem.

ROLES PLAYED BY ANIMALS

1.     They provide food to human in forms of meat, milk and honey.

2.     They utilize lands that are not suitable for cultivation to produce animas product foods of high value e.g. arid and semiarid areas, rocky and hilly topographies.Ruminants are able to convert waste crop by-products in high value human food.

3.     They can be used to generate income when their surplus products are sold for cash.They also play the role of insurance in families where they are sold in case of emergencies like sickness and other eventualities that require immediate funds that may not have been planned for.

4.     They play a social cultural role in terms of wealth expression, prestige, payment of dowry and other social obligations like worship.

5.     They provide energy through draft power and domestic fuel e.g. dry cow dung and biogas.

6.     They play an essential role in closing the carbon and nitrogen cycle in the ecosystems by provided in manure used for fertilizing the soil.The ash obtained by burning dung is incorporated in compost manure to provide nutrient for crops.

NUTRITION AND FEEDING

Farm animals require good diet for efficient production of the intended products, growth and maintenance.

Organic Farming systems aims at growing and producing most of the animal feeds in the farm to enable sustainable production and minimize the risk of contamination of these feeds by chemicalswhich may be in use at other sources where such where such feeds may be procured.Farm production of animal’s feeds also promotes the achieving of the basic objective of organic farming which is use of low external inputs.

The daily ration for all farm animals should contain an average of 70% carbohydrates, 25% proteins and 5% vitamins, minerals and oils.

BASIC NUTRIENTS IN ANIMALS FEEDS

CABOHYDRATES:Provide the animals with energy for maintenance of body health such as during work, gestation, production of meat, milk and eggs.Ruminants are able to obtain their basic carbohydrate requirements from forages and pastures by use of rumen microbes, which enable them to break down fibrous cellulose into energy giving units.This is however not possible in non-ruminant animals like pigs and poultry.Donkeys however do well on a ruminant diet.

PROTEINS: Are needed in the animal’s body for growth and repair of tissues.The lack of proteins in the diet rations lead to poor growth rate, reducedproduction of milk, eggs e.t.c, loss of weight and late maturity for growinganimals.Leguminous fodder is a good source of protein for most livestock.

VITAMINS:Are only needed in small amount in animals mainly for prevention of diseases.They are plentiful in young green pasture or fodder, kales, and young amaranth which has not seeded residues of fruit peels from the kitchen may also act as a good source of vitamins.

MINERAL SALTS: Provided essential minerals in the animal body such as calcium and phosphorus, which are necessary for egg shell formation, bone formation, muscle contractions, synthesis of hormones and enzymes e.t.c.Their deficiency from the body results in rickets, reduce growth, soft brittle bones that fracture easily, difficult birth, low egg and milk production, retained afterbirth e.t.c.Animals also develop the ‘Pica’ habit, which leads to eating strange things like cloths, rags, bones, soap, metal sheets e.t.c.Minerals are available from some plant like amaranths (pigweed), stinging nettle (urtica dioica), solanum nigrum (Black night shade), ox gonium sinnathuum (conge – KIK), curcubitae spp (pumpkin leaves).Mixing equal parts of dry leaves from these plants and grinding them to a smooth powered will provide for most minerals in livestock when placed in a mineral box and fed ad-labium.

Fats and oils- provide a layer of insulation below the skin for protection against cold.They also facilitate the absorption of vitamins in the body.Sunflower seeds provide a good source of fat for cattle, pigs, poultry and rabbits.Seeds of croton tree are also good source of fat.

WATER:While water may not be treated as a true nutrient, it is essential for providing a medium through which other nutrients are absorbed and assimilated in the body.It is also responsible for giving shape and turgidity to most tissue of the body.Clean water which is free from contamination with chemicals and disease causing agents should be provided to the animals ad-labium.Salty water with a lot of natural minerals is not suitable to livestock as it limits the intake.

ANIMAL HOUSING: Appropriate housing for livestock aims at achieving the following basic requirements.

1.     Space large enough for sufficient free movement.

2.     Sufficient fresh air and natural daylight through adequate ventilations.

3.     Protection against the vagaries of the weather e.g. excessive sunlight, heat, rain and wind.

4.     Enough lying and resting area according to the species and the size of the animals.

5.     Natural bedding material for large animals should be provided.

6.     Fresh water and feed should be provided for when designing livestock houses by incorporating feed rough and water troughs.

7.     The housing should be designed in a way to allow for easy and efficient collection of manures for composting.

8.     A gentle slope is essential in livestock houses to facilitate drainage.

9.     Livestock housing should be able to keep away predators while not compromising the ventilation aspects especially for poultry.

10.   Use of cheap locally available materials is especially emphasized in organic animal husbandry.

ANIMAL BREEDING

CONVERSION OF A LIVESTOCK FARM TO AN ORGANIC LIVESTOCK FARM LIVESTOCK FARM.

 The following impact points must be considered when converting to an organic system of production for live:

1.     Animals shall not be fed with feeds, which incorporated feed additives like growth hormones, bacteriostats e.t.c.

2.     Animal waste e.g. poultry manure shall not be used to feed livestock.

3.     Animal manures require to be handled properly, removed from animals housed regularly and be composted before taking them to the fields to kill harmful organisms that may be present e.t.c nematodes.

4.     The health of animals shall be paramount selection for breeding animals should be based on the resistance to diseases and pests.The farmer should administers only the herbal and natural treatment conventional drugs may only be used as a last resort to save the life of the animals will not be certified as from an organic source for the next three (3) months.

5.     The farm should strive to produce most of the feeds from the farm to avoid procurement of contaminated feeds from other sources.

INDOCERT provides organic Animal Husbandry certification as per following world wide accepted standards:

(i)  National standards for organic production (NPOP), Govt. of India

(ii) European Union regulations for organic production as per rules equivalent to EC.No.834/2007

(iii) United States organic standards USDANOP (National Organic Programme).