Animal spirits in the livestock census

The latest livestock census points to encouraging trends in dairying and poultry rearing

The 20th livestock census released a few days ago throws up some interesting findings that could alter fundamentally policy-makers’ approach to the country’s animal husbandry industry.

This was the first livestock census that used IT in a big way: Data was collated from tablet computers used by the over 80,000 field staff, which explains why these provisional findings are available within a year from the start of the census on October 18, the fastest in recent times. Till the 19th census, provisional results were declared more than a year and a half after the exercise began and the provisional data was often inaccurate and subject to considerable alterations. This time, government officials say, the final data will be released “very quickly”.

The livestock census covers all domesticated animals. Preliminary data augurs well for the the country’s dairy industry by reinforcing India’s position as the world’s largest milk producer. Although the number of overall cattle (male and female; crossbred and indigenous) has risen marginally after recording a fall in the 19th census of 2012, the female cattle population in both the segments has shown a steady increase.

Overall, the total female cattle population rose 18 per cent between 2012 and 2019. More significantly, however, is the relatively faster growth of 39 per cent for the high-yielding crossbred variety against 10 per cent for relatively low-yielding indigenous female cattle. This is not a new trend — in fact, the census confirmed what dairying experts knew.

But the increase in the number of crossbred female cattle is of special significance because these animals can produce the same quantity of milk all year round, which helps smooth the typical seasonal ups and downs in milk supply. “The rise in crossbred female animals along with increase in the number of indigenous female cattle population signifies that dairy firms will be able to reduce their reliance on skimmed milk powder during the lean summer months because they will have access to a constant supply of liquid milk,” said R S Khanna, a noted dairy and livestock expert.

In terms of the buffalo population, the number of females grew 8.6 per cent between 2012 and 2019, whereas the number of male buffalos declined 42.35 per cent. Buffalos account for 20.5 per cent of the country ’s total livestock.

In 2018-19, crossbred animals accounted for almost 28 per cent of India’s annual milk production of around 188 million tonnes, while indigenous animals contributed 18 per cent; buffalos accounted for the highest share at 49 per cent.

The rise in high-yielding female crossbred cattle is important because it reduces the pressure on land and related resources and significantly improves dairying economics. On an average, crossbred cattle yield 6-8 litres per animal and indigenous or desi breeds 3-4 litres. This development, however, runs somewhat contrary to the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s ideological position of reversing the trend of falling indigenous cattle numbers (both male and female). The Rashtriya Gokul Mission, launched in 2014, spent ~1056.82 crore between 2016-17 and 2018-19, principally on establishing indigenous cattle breeding centres, special tagging of indigenous cattle and so on. This programme succeeded in achieving a marginal rise in female indigenous cattle numbers but not in the male of the species.

Another interesting census finding is the sharp decline in the number of horses, mules, donkeys and camels. The drop in the number clearly shows their reducing importance in transportation in small towns for short distances. In Jammu & Kashmir, for instance, the horse and pony population has dropped 56 per cent between 2012 and 2019, which can be attributed to the increasing reliance on overhead cable cars for transport during religious pilgrimages.

A big revelation of the 20th livestock census was the sharp increase in the number of backyard poultry birds in comparison to the number of birds from commercial firms. These include, fowls, ducks, emu, turkeys and quail and other birds. The data shows that the number of backyard poultry birds rose a staggering 46 per cent between 2012 and 2019. The number of poultry birds from commercial farms, which are typically located near urban areas, rose 4.5 per cent during the same period.

Though the contribution of backyard poultry in India’s total poultry population is still around 40 per cent — the majority of the birds still come from commercial farms — the sharp growth in its population reflects an interesting development. Backyard poultry is practised mostly by small farmers, and the birds they rear are consumed by the household; very small quantities are commercially sold. A rise in their number could have a favourable impact on India’s malnutrition and act as an additional source of income for small, landless farmers.

Rickey Thaper, treasurer of the Poultry Federation of India, says the increase in backyard poultry birds is a direct result of steps several state governments, especially in the east, took to distribute chickens and fowl among the landless, poor growers.