Addressing north India’s burning issue sustainably
The monsoon has receded, and North India is bracing for a smoggy winter. And with that the feverish focus on crop stubble burning has returned to India’s public discourse. Like each year, discussions have begun on how bad this year’s stubble burning season will likely be and what potential ad hoc techno-fixes could solve the […]
Do not ignore the role of the woman livestock farmer
The livestock sector is one of the most rapidly growing components of the rural economy of India, accounting for 5% of national income and 28% of agricultural GDP in 2018-19. In the last six years, the livestock sector grew at 7.9% (at constant prices) while crop farming grew by 2%. Our field studies show that […]
Fate of over thirty crore cattle hangs by a thread under fodder crisis
India has a fodder problem and the fate of over thirty crore cattle hangs by a thread, as fodder prices sharply increase and rumours of worsening shortages spread like wildfire in the farms. The government held emergency meetings in which it declared there are “no shortages”, but it is an open secret that India has a […]
No fodder supply crisis;steps taken to address shortages in future: Govt
The government on Thursday said there is no fodder supply crisis at present but the prices remain high and steps are being taken to address any possible shortages in the future. According to a senior official, the current high prices of fodder is in line with other agri-products and states have not reported any shortages […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
GST rates levied on healthy dairying : buttermilk, curd, lassi and paneer
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Tuesday decided to remove a host of tax exemptions and hike rates for an even larger number of mass-consumption items. It approved a proposal to impose a 12% tax on hotel rooms costing below `1,000 per day and a 5% levy without input tax credit on hospital […]
Govt planning to remove gst exemption on dairy products in phases
The Group of Ministers (GoM) formed for GST rate rationalisation met on 17th June 2022, making some key proposals. It shall be placing an interim report before the GST Council, scheduled to meet on 28th and 29th June 2022 at Chandigarh. Sources to media publications claim that the interim report mentions that any of the […]
India’s dairy farmers face searing heat
ailas Ramasamy gently guides his cows into a hangar-sized shed, tethers them to their posts, lays out their fodder and cleans the floor. Then, as he steps out, he flips a switch: ceiling fans begin to blow air on the cattle. Ramasamy’s dairy farm is an hour outside southern India’s Bengaluru city. Usually known for […]