The livestock sector is one of the fastest growing agricultural sub-sectors in India.
It is a rich source of high quality products such as milk, meat and eggs and a source of income and employment to millions of rural farmers, particularly women.
Within this sector, dairying is a livelihood option for many rural poor, especially the landless, marginal and small farmers in India. It serves as an effective tool for rural development, employment and sustained income and as an insurance against several odds.
Milk production during 2020-21 and 2021-22 is 209.96 million tonnes and 221.06 million tonnes respectively showing an annual growth of 5.29%.
The per capita availability of milk is around 459 grams/day in India during 2022-23.
Nearly 45% of the milk production is contributed by Indigenous/ Non-Descript Buffaloes followed by 30% by crossbred cows. The Indigenous/Non-descript cows contribute 20% of the total milk production in the country.
Dairy farming in semi-arid India is mainly taken up by smallholders who rear animals on crop residues and common property resources. They are handicapped by low capital and lack of resources and training.
Lately, dwindling common property resources are driving farmers to take up intensive systems. The dairy scene in India is undergoing changes with newer technologies in breeding, feeding, management and disease control, underlining the need to adopt scientific dairy farming methods.
The profitability and sustainability of dairy farming in the semi-arid tropics hinges on increased production and efficiency through the adoption of improved practices that enhance nutrition and livelihood security.
