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Dairying: The lifeline of rural Haryana
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Monday, 03 November, 2014, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Dr Rajinder Singh
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fiogf49gjkf0d There is no house in rural Haryana where milk producing animals are not part and parcel of their daily life.
Any meal in Haryana cannot be complete without consumption of milk in one way or the other. The proverb “Desan main des Haryana, jit dudh dahi ka khana” speaks the same. Milk, buttermilk, curd, butter and ghee are staple parts of Haryanvi diet. In Haryana, the per capita availability of milk is 708 gm/day that is very high compared to that of the nation at 262 gm/ a day. The country has about 90 lakh buffaloes out of which 60 lakh are in Haryana.
Haryana produces about 66 lakh tonne of milk per year and more than 80 per cent of it comes from buffaloes. The quality and valuation of milk is done on the basis of fat and SNF (solid not fat) composition of milk. In recent years, in the state of Haryana, the population of buffaloes increased tremendously but cows’ population decreased due to economic reasons. Almost everywhere buffalo milk is sold at 1.5 times the price of cow’s milk at cooperative societies.
In Haryana, presently 6,000 cooperative milk societies are working out of which 1,300 are run by women and these women societies are performing better. On an average, buffalo and cow milk constitute 6-7% and 3-4% fat respectively. Other factors which are instrumental in buffaloes and cows numbers to increase and decrease are: the irrigation facilities, topography and institutional support.
Rohtak, Hisar, Bhiwani, Jind, Jhajjar and Sonepat districts are also the home-tracts of Murrah buffaloes. This area also produces fodder crops, cereals, and ultimately crop residues. Buffalo is the sole milch animal which has efficient marvelous conversion efficiency of converting these feeds/crop residues into the milk as well as excellent percentage of fat and SNF.
Since long time, Haryana has been a leader in dairy farming (being a small state, traditional knowledge and its transfer from one generation to another, excellent institutional support, well planned irrigation facilities, proximity to national capital Delhi). It is a highly suitable profession for unemployed youth and women. With the availability of market, this profession lures educated and uneducated youth both. Educated class aims to make it a profession with modern technology and hence maximise profit.
The key to success in dairy farming is its elite breed Murrah. The state as a whole provides best conditions for rearing and flourishing of its prized possessed breed. Districts especially Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonepat, Panipat, Jind, Bhiwani, Fatehabad and Hisar are home-tract of pure Murrah breed. The world-renowned buffalo breed is famous for its glistening black beauty and virtues of high production of fat-rich milk in its home-tract. Recognition of its qualities of looks and production potential has attracted interest not only from other states of the country, but also from the entire world.
What is Murrah?
Murrah is a renowned buffalo breed famous for its glistening black beauty, curved ring like horns, light neck and head, long tail, and whiteness at switch of tail only. This prized possession of Haryana is virtuous of high production of fat-rich milk containing six to seven per cent fat.
Average height of male at withers is 138 cm and females are 130 cm high. An average adult male weighs approximately 700 kg and females weigh 550 kg. Females yield 1,800 kg to 4,000 kg milk in the lactation period of 305 days.
Importance and contribution of Murrah
Rural Haryana cannot be talked about completely without reference to Murrah buffalo. It is backbone of the livelihood of Haryanvis. It provides food security and generates income for the unemployed youth. High milk production with rich fat content provides energy and strength for farming and manual work.
Scope
Shrinking landholdings, mechanised farming, and ready market of milk has increased the scope of high tech farming in Haryana. In the last decade it has been revealed that buffalo population has reached 1.7 hectare whereas it can be raised up to 8-10 buffalo per hectare. As per statistical abstract of Haryana state published in 2005, buffalo population in the state has increased 38 per cent and cattle population has decreased 36 per cent during1997 to2005. The prime focus on Murrah buffalo has become the key to success for more than 47 per cent of households in the state. The sorghum-wheat and rice- wheat cropping system that is prevalent in Haryana too blends well with proper understanding of the Murrah buffalo farming system.
Pure breed of Murrah buffalo in Haryana enables farmers take up animal breeding along with dairy farming. Large size ponds in each village have provided tremendous scope for buffalo rearing in the state. Dairy farming has attracted support from the government and other stakeholders like farmers, traders, breeders and scientists. Further, it leads to a sort of Murrah revolution with exponential rise in Murrah buffaloes along with dairy farming in the state especially in the last 10 years.
Government support
The University (Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar) and Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying also provide good quality semen for Artificial Insemination services for breed improvement and development, huge incentive money for Murrah breeders through milk recordings and competitions, calf rallies, breed champion buffalo prize and other benefits under Integrated Murrah Development Programme, insurance for death risk cover, vaccination to prevent from diseases like FMD (Foot and Mouth Disease), HS (Haemorrhagic Septicaemia) and so on and financial help along with subsidy for setting up of high tech dairy farms for enhancing productivity.
To motivate farmers, government provides training, demonstrations, educational materials in vernacular language, exhibitions, livestock shows and competitions.
“Murrah hit the ramp” is the much talked about show where elite breed animals do catwalk and win fabulous prizes from the government.
Marketing
As per Animal Husbandry department records, between 1940 and 1960, Murrah buffaloes from India were exported to Brazil where husbandry conditions were suitable. They were also exported to China and Bulgaria. Murrah buffaloes from Bulgaria were further exported to Azerbaijan. In the 1970s, Murrah buffaloes were also imported to Vietnam from China, Bulgaria and India and crossbred with local swamp buffaloes. A few Bulgarian and Indian Murrah buffaloes were also further exported to Venezuela and Argentina. As per the exim policy of 1972, export of live cattle was restricted under licensed control by the Government of India. The Haryana Government (the home-tract of Murrah buffalo) in India has also banned the export of Murrah buffalo from the state till at least one or two calves are left behind in the home-tract. Earlier 30,000 to 70,000 buffaloes were exported every year to other states of India like Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, as per registered data.
Value and income for farmers
In 2008, the most expensive Murrah sold was worth Rs 1.75 lakh in Hisar and Sirsa districts. Bull of the same breed in village Kungar, district Bhiwani, cost Rs 3.8 lakh in 2008. Till today, the maximum cost was Rs 5.6 lakh in the name of a buffalo of Khamach Khera village in Jind district but Kapoor of village Singhwa Khas (Rohtak-Hisar) has made his name in the history of not only Haryana but also of India by selling his buffalo at Rs 25 lakh. Earlier Kapoor sold his two-year bull of the same progeny at Rs 3 lakh. Another of his 11 months old male calf of the same progeny was offered Rs 10 lakh, but Kapoor refused to sell it. After sale of Kapoor’s buffalo, another buffalo was sold in Rs 13.71 lakh in village Didwari in Panipat district. These new prices are benchmarks and would encourage cattle rearing farmers in the state and India. The black beauty ‘Laxmi’ buffalo of Kapoor has left her progeny in Haryana which will be equally elite animals. Such high price is a great boost to the buffalo rearing industry in the state as well as for uplifting the morale of poor farmers.
Strategies for increasing production
Farmers are advised to rear pure bred elite Murrah buffaloes because buffalo-based farming system is much more remunerative and employment- generating as compared to crop-based farming system. That is why family labour, usually consisting of women and children, is at the helm of affairs in farm management in Haryana and are engaged rigorously in livestock production and management. However, in the fast- changing dairy scenario, empowering women with technical power at the village level for scientific dairy farm and livestock management can prove revolutionary. In the farms, factors such as provision of comfortable shelter for animals, especially tail to tail system, would lead to better supervision and reduce labour costs. Proper breeding practices with special emphasis on Artificial Insemination, heat detection, PD (parasitic disease) and control of endo- and ecto-parasites are essential. Feeding balanced and fortified ration to counter seasonal stress and inclement weather, following prescribed vaccination schedules and adopting hygienic milking practices are crucial for increasing milk production quality and quantity as well as reproduction which subsequently increase income and employment.
(With inputs by Shrishti and Varishti)
(The author is sr extension specialist (animal science), D I Lab, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Luvas,Hisar) Rohtak.He can be contacted at raja.udaybhar@gmail.com )
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