ROLE OF LIVESTOCK IN INDIAN ECONOMY 2019

ROLE OF LIVESTOCK IN INDIAN ECONOMY

Prepared by Dr.J.Tamizhkumaran

Livestock plays an important role in Indian economy. About 15.60 million people depend upon livestock for their livelihood (NSSO 66^th round survey). It is estimated to be 16.44 million by NSS 68^th round survey. It provides employment to about 7 % of the population in India. India has vast livestock resources.

Livestock resources:

S.no	Ranking	Population	Production
1.	FIRST	Livestock population	Milk production
		Total Bovine Population	Carabeef production
		Total buffalo population	Goat milk Production
		Cattle population	-
2.	SECOND	Goat Population	-
3.	THIRD	-	Egg production
4.	FOURTH	-	Chicken Production
5.	FIFTH	-	Meat Production
6.	EIGHTH	-	Duck Production
7.	NINETH	Camel population	Wool Production

           

Contribution of livestock to people: The livestock provides food and non food items to the people.

1. Food:  The livestock provides food items such as Milk, Meat and Eggs for human consumption. India is number one milk producer in the world. It is producing about 176.34m. tones of milk in a year. Similarly it is producing about 95.217 billions of eggs, 7.65 million tonnes of meat in a year.

2. Fibre and skins: The livestock also contributes to the production of wool, hair, hides, and pelts. Leather is the most important product which has a very high export potential. India is producing about 41.46 million Kg of wool per annum.

3. Draft: Bullocks are the back bone of Indian agriculture. Despite lot of advancements in the use of mechanical power in Indian agricultural operations, the Indian farmer especially in rural areas still depend upon bullocks for various agricultural operations. The bullocks are saving a lot on fuel which is a necessary input for using mechanical power like tractors, combine harvesters etc. Pack animals like camels, horses, donkeys, ponies, mules etc are being extensively used to transport goods in different parts of the country in addition to bullocks. In situations like hilly terrains mules and ponies serve as the only alternative to transport goods. Similarly, the army has to depend upon these animals to transport various items in high areas of high altitude.

4. Dung and other animal waste materials: Dung and other animal wastes serve as very good farm yard manure and the value of it is worth several crores of rupees. In addition it is also used as fuel (bio gas, dung cakes), and for construction as poor man’s cement (dung).

5. Storage: Livestock are considered as “moving banks” because of their potentiality to dispose off during emergencies. They serve as capital and in cases of landless agricultural labourers many time it is the only capital resource they possess. Livestock serve as an asset and in case of emergencies they serve as guarantee for availing loans from the local sources such as money lenders in the villages.

6. Weed control: Livestock are also used as Biological control of brush, plants and weeds.

7. Cultural: Livestock offer security to the owners and also add to their self esteem especially when they are owning prized animals such as pedigreed bulls, dogs and high yielding cows/ buffaloes etc.

           

8. Sports / recreation: People also use the animals like cocks, rams, bulls etc for competition and sports. Despite ban on these animal competitions the cock fights, ram fights and bull fights (Jalli kattu) are quite common during festive seasons.

9. Companion animals: Dogs are known for their faithfulness and are being used as companions since time immemorial. When the nuclear families are increasing in number and the old parents are forced to lead solitary life the dogs, cats are providing the needed company to the latter thus making them lead a comfortable life.

As McDowell (1977) indicated the livestock in nut shell provide

·         food and non-food products

·         manure for fertilizer and fuel

·         provide power

·         a source of income

·         employment

·         a means of storing wealth

·         a way to meet social obligations.

Animal Products plays an important role in the socio- economic life of India. It is a rich source of high quality of animal products such as milk, meat and eggs. India has emerged as the largest producer of milk with 21.91 percent share in total milk production in the world. India accounts for about 5.57 percent of the global egg production and also the largest population of milch animals in the world, with 109.85 million buffaloes, 148.88 million goats and 74.26 million sheeps. Exports of animal products represent an important and significant contribution to the Indian Agriculture sector.

The export of Animal Products includes Buffalo meat, Sheep/ Goat meat, Poultry products, Animal Casings, Milk and Milk products and Casein etc.

            India's exports of Animal Products was ` 30309.38 Crore in 2018-19, which include the major products like Buffalo Meat (`25,168.31 Crore), Sheep/ Goat Meat      (` 790.65 Crore), Poultry Products (`687.31 Crore), Dairy Products (`2423.01 Crore), Animal Casing (`480.66 Crore), Processed Meat (`13.52 Crore), Albumin ( Eggs & Milk) `103.06 Crore), and casein (`220.53 Crore).

The demand for Indian buffalo meat in international market has sparked a sudden increase in the meat exports. Buffalo meat dominated the exports with a contribution of over 83.03% in total Animal Products export from India. The main markets for Indian buffalo meat and other animal products are Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iraq, Mynammar and UAE.

In term of export from India, Animal Casing ,Dairy Products and Casein recorded 34%, 86%, and 93% growth respectively, during the financial year 2018-19 over the same period of last year. The major importing countries of these products were Turkey, UAE, Egypt, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

ROLE OF LIVESTOCK IN FARMERS’ ECONOMY

The livestock plays an important role in the economy of farmers. The farmers in India maintain mixed farming system i.e. a combination of crop and livestock where the output of one enterprise becomes the input of another enterprise thereby realize the resource efficiency. The livestock serve the farmers in different ways.

Income: Livestock is a source of subsidiary income for many families in India especially the resource poor who maintain few heads of animals. Cows and buffaloes if in milk will provide regular income to the livestock farmers through sale of milk. Animals like sheep and goat serve as sources of income during emergencies to meet exigencies like marriages, treatment of sick persons, children education, repair of houses etc. The animals also serve as moving banks and assets which provide economic security to the owners.

Employment: A large number of people in India being less literate and unskilled depend upon agriculture for their livelihoods. But agriculture being seasonal in nature could provide employment for a maximum of 180 days in a year. The land less and less land people depend upon livestock for utilizing their labour during lean agricultural season.

Food: The livestock products such as milk, meat and eggs are an important source of animal protein to the members of the livestock owners.

Social security: The animals offer social security to the owners in terms of their status in the society. The families especially the landless which own animals are better placed than those who do not. Gifting of animals during marriages is a very common phenomenon in different parts of the country. Rearing of animals is a part of the Indian culture. Animals are used for various socio religious functions. Cows for house warming ceremonies; rams, bucks and chicken for sacrifice during festive seasons;   Bulls and Cows are worshipped during various religious functions. Many owners develop attachment to their animals.

Draft : The bullocks are the back bone of Indian agriculture. The farmers especially the marginal and small depend upon bullocks for ploughing, carting and transport of both inputs and outputs.

Dung: In rural areas dung is used for several purposes which include fuel (dung cakes), fertilizer (farm yard manure), and plastering material (poor man’s cement).

Companion animals: Dogs are used as companion animals in addition to utilizing them as watch dogs. In addition cats, birds etc are being used as companion animals.

FACTS AND FIGURES                

1. Contribution of Livestock sector in the total GDP: 4.6 percent (25.76%)

2. Employment generation

Principal status+ Subsidiary status     :           16.44 millions            

3. % Employment generation of livestock to the total working population:      7.0

4. Value of livestock output in 2016-17 (at current prices)

Milk group                                          :           ` 6,14,387   crore

Meat group                                          :           `  1,94,454 crore

      5. Total Export earnings from Livestock                          ` 30309.38 crore

            and Poultry and related products

            (2018-19)

6. Total Meat production in 2017-18                    : 7.7 m. tons

7. Total poultry Production 2017-18                    : 3.82 m. tons

8. Per capita availability of milk in 2017-18         : 375 gm

9. Per capita availability of eggs in 2017-18         : 74 per annum

10. Average Milk yield rate for milk

Exotic Cows (kg/day) Indigenous	Crossbred Cows (kg/day)	Indigenous Cows (kg/day)	Non-Descript Cows (kg/day)	Buffalo (kg/day)	Buffalo (kg/day)	Non- Descript Goat (kg/day)
11.48	7.61	3.73	2.41	6.19	4.21	0.47

Source:

Annual Report 2018-19, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India.

APEDA & BAHS 2019

LIVESTOCK POPULATION (20^th LIVESTOCK CENSUS -2019)

Sl. No	Species	Number (in millions)	Ranking in the world population
01	Cattle	125.34	SECOND
02	Buffaloes	109.85	FIRST
	Total (including Mithun and Yak)	302.79	FIRST
03	Sheep	74.26	THIRD
04	Goats	148.88	SECOND
05	Pigs	9.06
	Total livestock	535.78
	Total poultry	851.81	SEVENTH
	Backyard Poultry	317.07
	Commercial Poultry Chicken	534.74
06	Duck	33.51	FOURTH
07	Camel	0.25	NINETH

LIVESTOCK POPULATION - 2019 LIVESTOCK CENSUS

PONDICHERRY, TAMILNADU & ALL INDIA

Sl.No.	Species	Pondicherry (Actual)	Tamilnadu (in million)	India (in million)
1.	Cattle	71,812	9.46	192.52
2.	Buffaloes	2,395	0.51	109.85
	Total Bovine	74,207	9.98	302.81
4.	Sheep	2,445	4.5	74.26
5.	Goat	73,630	9.88	148.88
6.	Pigs	880	0.06	9.06
	Total Livestock	1,51,196	24.45	535.82
7.	Poultry	2,35,999	120.78	851.80

Source:

20^th Livestock Census

Annual Report 2018-19, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India.

 

ESTIMATES LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION IN INDIA 2018-19

Sl. No.	Product	Quantity (000 tonnes)	Ranking in the world production
01	MILK in million tonnes	187749.46	FIRST
02	EGGS in billions ( nos)	1039325.41	THIRD
03	MEAT million tonnes	8140.28	FIFTH
04	WOOL in million kgs.	40420.00	-

Source:

BAHS 2018-19 Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India.

Per capita availability of Milk, Egg and Meat (per annum)

PONDICHERRY, TAMILNADU & ALL INDIA

2017-18

Category	Pondicherry	Tamil Nadu	INDIA	ICMR recommendation
Milk (gm/day)	92	300	375	280
Egg (in nos.)	09	246	74	182
Meat (in kg)				11

Registered breeds of Livestock and Poultry in India (2018-19)

Breed registration Committee in its meeting held on 5th September, 2018 at New Delhi approved registration of fifteen new breeds of livestock and poultry. This includes two breeds of cattle, three breeds of buffalo, six breeds of goat, and one breed each of sheep, pig, donkey and chicken. After including these newly registered breeds, total number of indigenous breeds now in the country is 184.

S.no	Livestock/ Poultry	India	Tamilnadu
1.	Buffalo	16	02
2.	Cattle	43	04
3.	Goat	34	03
4.	Sheep	43	10
5.	Horse& Pony	07	-
6.	Camel	09	-
7.	Chicken	19	-
8.	Pig	08	-
9.	Donkey	02	-
10.	Yak/Duck/Geese	01	-
	Total	184

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