Economics of livestock
Utility value determines choice of animals
The futility of the government’s controversial cow protection policies is evident from the 20th livestock census (2019) data, which was released last week. Despite setting up the Gokul Mission for the preservation and promotion of indigenous cattle breeds and curbs on the movement and trade of cows, and vigilantism by self-appointed cow protectors, cattle-keepers continue to prefer cross-bred cows and buffaloes over desi cows. While the population of exotic and cross-bred cows has surged by nearly 27 per cent since the last livestock census in 2012, that of the indigenous and non-descript cattle has dipped by 6 per cent. The buffalo count has also risen, even if only marginally.
Significantly, this trend is conspicuous in Uttar Pradesh, which has recorded the largest number of cases of vigilantism and lynching. The state government is also directly involved in the cow conservation campaign. All district authorities in Uttar Pradesh have been asked to build goshalas (cow shelters) to keep and feed cattle at government expense. A one-rupee cess has been imposed on every liquor bottle to raise funds for this purpose. Yet, the state’s cattle population has declined by nearly 4 per cent, while the buffalo count has risen by about 8 per cent. Worse still, the closing down of many old slaughter houses and preventing opening of new ones have resulted in a decline in the number of goats and sheep as well. This bodes ill for the export of mutton from the country’s leading meat-exporting state.
Stray cattle are not enumerated in the livestock census. But anecdotal evidence suggests a sharp increase in their numbers as a result of the ban on the movement and trade of cows. While earlier the old and unproductive cows used to be disposed of in the cattle bazaars, these are now let loose to roam about in the countryside, damaging crop fields and forests and competing with other livestock for fodder and feed resources. Farm organisations from all over the country are demanding an urgent solution to this menace.
The livestock census also shows that the population of several useful but low milk- or non-milk-yielding domesticated animals is dwindling rapidly. These include equines and bovines like horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, camels, and yak. No doubt, these animals cumulatively constitute only about 0.23 per cent of the country’s vast livestock wealth, but these are useful in their own respect, with each one having its own unique qualities. The most dramatic fall is in the number of donkeys (61 per cent) and mules (57 per cent). If not protected, these animals may vanish in near future.
Clearly, the livestock-keepers’ choice of the animals and their breeds is guided more by their utility rather than the government’s diktat. That explains why the population of major milch animals is steady or on the rise while that of the draught animals, which are no longer in much demand due to the availability of mechanical alternatives, is plummeting. The best way to popularise the pure-bred indigenous cows would be to boost their inherent milk yield through selective breeding without altering their typical genetic makeup, which is adapted to local conditions. The policies concerning the movement and marketing of cows also need to be revisited for the benefit of the cattle owners and the overall livestock economy.