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Commercial Farming in India - current scenario
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Wednesday, 16 January, 2019, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Rahul Uppal
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Dairy industry in India is one of the fastest expanding industries in the world. It is considered subsidiary to agriculture and a source of livelihood for farmers in rural areas and startups in urban India. As the demand for milk is increasing, people from various backgrounds are opting for commercial dairy in India, seeking it as a source of profitable business.
As per NAPDD (National Action Plan for Dairy Development) report 2018, India ranks first in milk production, accounting for 20% of world production. There are three primary causes for the increased demand for milk, i.e., growth in population, income growth and urbanisation.
With increase in the purchasing power of people, urbanisation and change in food habits, the milk demand is expected to be on a constant rise. Further, factors such as increased consumer interest in high protein diets and rise in awareness & availability of dairy products through channels such as organised retail chain are also driving this growth.
Therefore, there is need for intervention to strengthen the Indian dairy sector in order to meet the rising demand for milk and valued-added milk products. This can be achieved through commercial dairy farming.
Parts of the country where most dairy is located are Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) is India's largest dairy product manufacturer and marketing organisation through the brand Amul (Anand Milk Union Limited). They have a daily average of 10.6 million litre of milk collection. Other brands created by the cooperatives are Vijaya (AP), Verka (Punjab), Saras (Rajasthan). Nandini (Karnataka), Aavin (Tamil Nadu) (Purohit, 2010).
Market Statistics
Generally, marginal farmers, landless labourers or small farmers are known for majority of the dairy activities. However, the present scenario indicates that the market is shifting towards organised, i.e., commercial dairy model due to the growth of value-added dairy products and perishable milk products.
According to a report on Establishment of High-Tech Dairy Farming Unit by the Government of Gujarat, 2017, “The Indian dairy market was valued at US$5.4 billion, in the year 2010, which raised to US$11.8 billion in the year 2015. By the year 2020 the dairy industry market in India is expected to be valued at US$22.5 billion based on the projections and past trends.”
Challenges
With every new vision, project or business, there are challenges that need to be overcome but analysing them is the first step. Besides cow and buffalo, there are other animals like goat, camel and sheep, which are a source of milk but in India the only acceptable source of animal protein is milk from cows and buffaloes.
Dairy activities are considered to be eliminating poverty and unemployment especially in the rural areas, specifically in rain-fed and drought-prone regions. Yet, people in India are overlooking the potential of milk from different source of animals.
In India, about three-fourth of the population lives in rural areas and about 38% of it is poor. In 1986-87, about 73% of rural households own livestock. Small and marginal farmers account for three-quarters of these households owning livestock, raising 56% of the bovine and 66% of the sheep population.
According to the National Sample Survey of 1993-94, livestock sector produces regular employment to about 9.8 million persons and 8.6 million in subsidiary status, which constitute about 5% of the total workforce. The progress in this sector will result in a more balanced development of the rural economy.
Scope of Adulteration
A national survey in India has revealed that almost 70% of the milk sold and consumed in India is adulterated by contaminants such as detergent and skimmed milk powder, but impure water is the highest contaminant. With increasing demand and people entering commercial dairy farming, there is a vast scope for adulteration.
Right from the time of milk production to delivering it to the consumer, there is a wide timeline in which the milk needs to be protected from getting spoiled. Hence, adulteration becomes a solution for small and marginal farmers, vendors and others.
According to a survey by FSSAI in 2012, 68% milk samples were found to be adulterated in which 31% were from rural areas of these 16.7% were packet or branded milk and rest were loose milk samples from dairies. Detergents are added to emulsify and dissolve oil in milk.
Later, collection agent collects sub-standard milk from farmers. Due to poor cold chain infrastructure, adds formalin and hydrogen peroxide to prolong its freshness. Stores milk for a day or two before selling it. Further, milk brands get milk from agents, reconstitute it with skimmed milk powder to create variants and supply it after packing to customers.
Milk adulteration is a serious health hazard which needs to be challenged mutually and stopped at the earliest.
Milk Processing
The milk processing industry is small compared to the huge amount of milk produced every year. A specific Indian phenomenon is the unorganised sector of milkmen, vendors who collect the milk from local producers and sell the milk in both, urban and non-urban areas, which handle around 65-70% of the national milk production.
In the organised dairy industry, the cooperative milk processors have a 60% market share. The cooperative dairies process 90% of the collected milk as liquid milk, whereas the private dairies process and sell only 20% of the milk collected as liquid milk and 80% for other dairy products with a focus on value-added products.
Scope for Betterment and Innovation Thermal-based Back-up
Many dairy farms have started utilising thermal-battery based technology which cuts down the need for using generator backups at storage facilities. This technology helps keep the milk from spoiling, keeps it chilled at below 4 degrees for more than two hours, even if there is no power.
Internet of Things
Dairy farmers are using RFID tags not only to track the cattle but also transmit the data to improve the productivity of its business, efficiency of the farmers, and milk yield of the cattle. The data is transmitted over the cloud and can be accessed on desktops, while the factory data from the multiple sensors helps in plant automation and analytics. The farmers are given updates on their hand-held devices through cellphone apps regarding feeding times, pregnancy cycles, and medicines for their cows.
Formulation of Concentrate Feed
Mixing of different types of concentrate feed components is done with the help of pulveriser. They make formulation of feed on the basis of availability of different types of grains and other components. Animals are fed according to season and breed, sex, age, production and stage of lactation. There are various formulations for different types of animals such as calves, draught animals, and milch.
Mastitis Control Examination
Many of the farms do subclinical mastitis tests as they are more cautious about mastitis because the disease is serious.
(The author is CEO at woohoo doodh. He can be contacted at rahul@woohoodoodh.com)
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