Page 9 - Dairy Dimension - Jan

| Volume 1 | Issue 2 | Jan-Feb 2025 ARTICLE

with breeders' associations of the respective breeds 1. Aggressively support both the forage and feed
to assess growth rates and identify opportunities. industries. Without proper nutrition, the already
Localized actions involving these associations should much-improved genetics of crossbred dairy cows
focus on breed improvement and productivity and buffaloes cannot be sustained to maintain
enhancement using local resources. higher production levels.
5. Parent/breeder stock should be identified at the 2. The Government of India must create the right
village level for each breed: the top 50% for females platform to bring all relevant stakeholders together
and the top 20% for males. Associations should for a positive dialogue on improving the genetic
handle segregation and unique identification, with potential of indigenous cows. This should also
farmer involvement. include strengthening plans for the rehabilitation of
6. A separate market mechanism needs to be abandoned cows, regulations on crossbreeding
established to enable breeders to receive a higher programs, and supporting dairy farmers and milk
price for young stock born from parent/breeder cooperatives in a manner similar to MSP for
stock, as compared to animals sold solely for milk agriculturists, to avoid losses for livestock
production. stakeholders.
Given the downward trend in growth, policies need to be 3. Feed millers and milk cooperatives must step
finalized urgently. With rising per capita income and a forward to support awareness programs for dairy
growing middle-income population in urban areas, the farmers on nutrition, health, and management,
demand for milk and milk products is expected to similar to the poultry industry, where farmers are
increase further, exacerbating the milk demand-supply more aware than the average dairy farmer.
4. Create courses in veterinary universities and
institutes for on-farm supervisors, dairy farm
management, and feed mill operations. This will
address the acute shortage of skilled professionals
and workers, which is crucial to maintaining and
growing the dairy industry, and to overcoming the
skills shortage in the workforce engaged in the
sector.

Dr Suyash Vardhan Regarding the adoption and learning from global best
Chief Technical Officer, practices, it's essential to consider Indian realities. A live
Innovatief Technologies example is the revision of current BIS norms with the
inclusion of AftB1 claims at a maximum of 20 ppb. While
I do not wish to question the worthiness of these
changes, one must remember that the Western world
gap. worked aggressively to establish and create the right
What steps should India take to ensure self- supply chain before adopting such measures. This
sufficiency in dairy production as consumption revision has had a significant impact on the desired
growth surpasses production? What are the global growth of the cattle feed business. It has affected feed
best practices that the sector should adopt? millers' profitability, as input costs have raised
India has largely remained self-sufficient until FY2022, substantially, hampering their ability to invest further in
with annual milk production growth at 5.77%. However, capacity growth. We must also remember that until post-
starting from FY2023, the annual milk production growth harvest management and warehousing of grains and
dropped to 3.83% and 3.76% in FY2024, as demand oilseeds improve, cattle feed millers will continue to
outpaces production. Consumer demand for milk and struggle with managing revised BIS norms, as it is
milk products is growing at 6.42% year-on-year and is beyond their control to manage grains and oil meals.
expected to grow at a 45% CAGR by 2030. Such trends What we can learn from global best practices is the
are concerning not only to policymakers from the involvement of research institutes, veterinary
perspective of food security but also to the dairy universities, feed additives, and animal health and
industry. Immediate steps necessary to address these nutrition companies to contribute the right knowledge
issues include: and technologies to feed millers and milk cooperatives.

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