Dairy Sector Development in Sugarcane Based Cropping System of Uttar Pradesh (UP): Challenges and Opportunities

Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as reducing poverty, hunger and malnutrition by 2030 require that sustainable and profitable smallholder livestock production systems be developed and the connected social, economic, and environmental challenges-all at the same time be addressed at a more disintegrated level. This paper is an an attempt to analyse the livestock resources, diversity and associated issues in sugarcane intensive areas of Uttar Pradesh. The paper is based on the secondary source information as well as on primary source information from 20 urban and 20 rural dairy owning households from three most intensive sugarcane growing districts in UP. Analysis of livestock resources in UP state reveals that the buffalo population accounts for 44.57 per cent livestock resources while the cattle population accounts for its 28.46 per cent share. Breed-wise analysis revealed that there are just 12 recognized cattle breeds. Nearly 18.30 per cent of the total cattle population is exotic and crossbred animals. Amongst indigenous recognized breeds, the most common and hardy Hariana breed is having just 21.74 per cent pure animals. Amongst 6 recognised buffalo breeds, Murrah breed is very popular and constitutes 65.67 per cent of total buffalo population in the state. The share of pure animals amongst Murrah breed is just 22.88 per cent. Out of22.20 millions milch animals, the in-milk animals were 16.42 millions (73.96%). The female: male ratio in exotic/CB, indigenous cattle and buffaloes was 4.67, 2.74 and 5.23, respectively. Holding-wise analysis reveals that only 29.82 per cent small landholders are rearing cattle and around 39.29 per cent are rearing buffaloes. The proportion of in-milk animal holders is less compared to large landholders. The role and contribution of livestock differed between the western and the eastern region of the UP. Buffalo are the prevailing livestock resource in western sugarcane intensive region in sharp contrast to eastern region as reveled by cattle: buffalo ratio of 0.38 and 0.59, respectively. Around 75.91 per cent of households in this region are owning buffalo, in sharp contrast to 27.69 per cent households in eastern region. The analysis of individual dairy farms/units highlights that different types of livestock production systems are in operation in urban and in rural areas. These systems, though different, are interconnected with each other on account of the constraints related to breeding and feeding management that played a crucial role in the efficiency and the profitability of the livestock production systems. The State is the largest producer of milk which is based not on large scale commercial production but on a large number of small producers with one to four bovines. An holistic approach is required to ease the constraints facing these dairy production systems in order to make them more efficient. Special emphasis is required for increasing the scale of operation through start-ups and agri-ventures in establishing modern and specialised livestock rearing entreprises by youths under new Govt initiatives such as AC & ABC scheme. A congenial and conducive policy environment needs to be developed for creating a sense of urgency and developing a collective action of producers at gram panchayat level in the form of well developed and business oriented gosala units supported by KVKs and veterinary hospitals for their extension needs. Institutional linkages be developed for managing the stray cattle menace at Gram Panchayat level itself. Extension and research needs for nutrition enrichment of sugarcane tops, the use of nano-technology in animal nutrition, reducing the age of maturity of female and in increasing the population of pure breeds of good quality indigenous stock need to be fulfilled in a time bound manner. Good cows of desi cattle breeds like Sahiwal and Gangateeri breeds need to be reared at each KVK level for demonstrating beneficial rearing scenarios of these breeds to the visiting and trainee farmers and farm women.