Govt saw fodder crisis coming over two years ago
AWARE OF the upcoming disaster, the Union authorities had developed a blueprint a minimum of two years in the past for assembly fodder deficit that’s adversely affecting agricultural households now. This concerned organising about 100 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) for fodder by the Nationwide Dairy Growth Board (NDDB), however not a single such FPO has…
Lumpy Skin Disease:A livelihood crisis for India’s small dairy farmers
It was on a July day that Lakshmi Devi noticed swelling on her cow Laalri’s legs. The next day, the animal’s body was covered with lumps. Devi called the local veterinarian to find out that a viral illness by the name of lumpy skin disease (LSD) has been spreading in her district of Bikaner in…
Grassland, fodder issues merit global attention
India will occupy the G20 Presidency from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023, and host the 18th G20 Summit next year. The G20 Chair undertakes a wide range of activities to help members discuss and coordinate policies on matters of common interest. The shift in focus in recent years to the Global South is…
NDP-II set for rollout from April
The ambitious plan NDP-I Started in February 2012 Financial outlay of ₹2,241 crore Objective: To increase the productivity of milch animals and improve market access of milk producers Outcomes: Milk production per animal increased from a baseline of 5.03 litres per day in 2012 to 6.09 litres per day in 2019 Share of milk sold to…
How ‘Operation Flood’ helped in the evolution of the dairy sector In India?
The evolution of the dairy sector in India and the stellar role played by dairy cooperatives since the launch of Operation Flood form an integral part of the country’s growth story as the country now is the largest producer of milk. India contributes 21 per cent to global milk production. It is important to note…
A solution to fodder shortage in dairy sector
High on nutrition and resistant to drought, bajra-napier hybrid grass is ideal for livestock. It can help farmers in semi-arid areas India’s post-Independence achievement in transforming itself from a milk deficit country to the world’s largest milk producer has been exemplary . That said, India has the world’s largest dairy herd but milk yield of…
Rebuild agriculture to make it future-ready
GIVEN the spectacular role Indian farmers have played in pulling the country out of the ‘ship-to-mouth’ existence and turning it into a food-surplus nation, agriculture has emerged as the brightest star of the Indian economy. Whether we would like to publicly acknowledge it or not, a vibrant agriculture had laid out a strong foundation for…
Fair price for farmers: How consumers can spur the change
I have often quoted an OECD-ICRIER study that puts an economic value to the losses suffered by the Indian farmers in the 16-year period, between 2000 and 2016. It puts the loss at a staggering Rs45 lakh crores, which means on an average, every year farmers suffered a loss of roughly Rs2.64 lakh crore. While…
Working towards animal health : Atul Chaturvedi
A collaboration is needed between veterinary science and human health experts to forge effective tools The developments unleashed by COVID-19 have once again put the spotlight on the pressing need to create greater collaborations and synergies between research on human health and animal health. India has a livestock population of 1.6 billion, that in turn…
Centre, State cannot set support price for milk
Centre says co-operatives and private dairies fix prices; but agrees on input costs rising Dairy farmers in Maharashtra will have to sort out the support price for milk directly with the co-operatives and private dairies as the Union and the State governments are unwilling to intervene. Over the last few months, dairy farmers in Maharashtra…