In a compelling discussion, Dr. Abhinav Gaurav, an expert in veterinary sciences & renowned advsior in Sustainable Dairy, with extensive experience across India, Cambodia, and Africa, sheds light on the intricate relationship between dairy farming, profitability, and climate change. Currently working with the Environmental Defense Fund, his focus is on making animal husbandry profitable while minimizing environmental impact.

Watch episode on https://youtu.be/fQwdxmdiXac

Climate Change and Its Impact on Livestock

Dr. Gaurav emphasized that climate change is not a distant threat but a present reality, marked by erratic rainfall, increased heat, and humidity. This has direct and indirect consequences for livestock:

• Heat Stress: Animals, especially milch animals, suffer significantly from rising temperatures. Small farmers often lack the resources (foggers, proper sheds, water access) to mitigate this.
  • Reduced Milk Production: Heat stress can decrease milk output by 20-30% in dairy animals, and what was once a 3-month summer now extends to 5-6 months.
  • Buffaloes are particularly vulnerable: They lack sweat glands, making it difficult to regulate body temperature. Traditionally, ponds were used to cool them, but these are now scarce.
• Indirect Effects: Higher temperatures impact crop yields, fodder availability, and water resources, indirectly affecting animal health and productivity.

Livestock’s Role in Climate Change: The Methane Menace

Dairy animals, particularly cows and buffaloes, contribute to climate change by emitting methane gas as a byproduct of their digestive process.

• Methane Production: These animals have four stomachs, designed to digest various types of fodder. However, a poor-quality, fibrous diet forces them to hold food longer, leading to increased methane production. This gas is released through burps and dung.
• Potent Greenhouse Gas: Methane is 80 times more impactful on climate change than carbon dioxide. It accounts for 25% of current climate change, though it also originates from other sources like landfills and oil refineries.

The Win-Win Solution: Balanced Diet for Livestock

The good news is that addressing methane emissions can also boost farmer profitability:

• Increased Milk Production & Reduced Methane: Research by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in India demonstrated that feeding a balanced diet to livestock resulted in a daily profit of ₹30 per animal due to increased milk production, alongside a 20% reduction in methane emissions.
• Energy Efficiency: A better diet means the animal expends less energy on digestion, redirecting that energy towards milk production. This leads to faster digestion, less methane, and more milk.

While farmers cannot easily detect methane emissions directly, focusing on optimizing their animals’ productivity and overall health is key.

Tailoring the Diet: Not One-Size-Fits-All

An animal’s diet is not standard; it depends on its breed, age, weight, and production capacity.

• Breed-Specific Needs: Just like different vehicles have different fuel needs, different breeds (e.g., Murrah buffalo vs. Jersey cow) have varied dietary requirements.
• Life Stage Needs: From calves needing mother’s milk and initial roughage to growing animals requiring protein for reproduction, and lactating cows needing specific ratios of green fodder, dry fodder, and concentrates – each stage demands a tailored approach. For a cow producing 10 liters of milk, a basic thumb rule is 20-25 kg green fodder, 2-5 kg dry fodder, and 1 kg concentrate per 2.5 liters of milk.

Addressing Fodder Shortages and New Feed Options

India faces a significant 30% deficit in green and dry fodder. This impacts per-animal milk productivity, which is far lower than global averages.

• Evaluating New Feeds: While new feed concentrates and pellets are available, farmers must critically assess their scientific claims and long-term benefits, rather than solely focusing on immediate milk increase.
• The “Balanced Plate” is Crucial: Just as humans need a balanced meal, animals require a mix of green fodder, dry fodder, and concentrates. Relying solely on concentrates is not sustainable for an animal’s long-term health and productivity. Green fodder is essential lifelong, regardless of lactation.
• Roadside Fodder vs. Cultivated Fodder: There’s a significant difference in nutritional value between green fodder cut from roadsides and that specifically cultivated for animals.

Hydroponic Fodder: A Promising Investment

For small farmers or those with limited land, hydroponic fodder presents an excellent solution:

• Resource Efficiency: Hydroponics allows fodder cultivation without soil, with minimal water, and without chemicals, addressing land and water scarcity.
• Long-Term Investment: Though it involves an initial investment, Dr. Gaurav views it as a long-term investment in the animal’s health and productivity, leading to timely conception, higher milk yields across more lactations, and overall better health, reducing future health costs.
• Justified Cost: While potentially more expensive than traditional fodder, the extra cost is justified given the nutritional richness (protein, dry matter, carbohydrates, vitamins) that comprehensively supports the animal’s needs for milk production, reproduction, and health. However, this investment must be combined with good breeding, timely vaccination, and proper overall animal management to realize the animal’s full potential.

Shunya’s Nutri Ankurit Feed is a Fodder-as-a-Service for dairy farmers wherein they dont need to invest in hydroponics setup and can get fresh fodder delivered near home daily through an on-demand hydroponic delivery service in India.

The Bright Future of Indian Dairy Farming

Dr. Gaurav is highly optimistic about India’s dairy future:

• Global Leader: India currently produces one-fourth of the world’s milk, with projections to soon reach one-third.
• “White Revolution 2.0”: With new government initiatives and increased investment, the sector is poised for significant growth.
• Sustainable Farming: The future lies in sustainable dairy, balancing economic growth for farmers, social acceptability, and minimal environmental impact.
• India’s Unique Model: India’s “production by masses” model, empowering small and marginal farmers, is being adopted globally. Dr. Gaurav views this as an opportunity for India to be a global learning center for dairy development.
• Need for Research: Despite its leadership, India needs more investment in research to adapt global technologies for small farmers.

Challenges and the Way Forward

While the future is bright, challenges remain:

• Outdated Practices: Many small farmers still rely on traditional practices that are no longer profitable.
• Information and Resource Gap: There’s a significant gap in providing small farmers with information, resources (like quality fodder seeds, hydroponic systems), and access to easy credit.
• Regional Disparities: Vast differences exist in dairy development within India, with some regions boasting high productivity, while others lag significantly.
• Empowering Farmers: Since dairy farming is a way of life in India, it needs to be updated to be relevant and profitable today.

Farmers are encouraged to seek information from reliable sources:

• Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs): Agricultural science centers with veterinary and agricultural scientists offering training, seeds, and government schemes.
• Dairy Cooperatives: Local milk committees that provide information, affordable feed, other facilities, and fair prices for milk.
• BAIF (Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation): A non-governmental organization focused on artificial insemination and farmer training.
• New Companies & Startups: Emerging private companies also offer good, context-specific information.

Ultimately, farmers need to keep their “eyes, ears, and minds open” to filter accurate information, especially from mobile phones, and adapt to modern, sustainable practices for a profitable and environmentally friendly future in dairy farming.

About Shunya Agritech

Shunya Agritech is a leading Fodder-as-a-Service provider building the future of dairy through innovation in hydroponic fodder in India. We grow and deliver affordable hydroponic fodder for small farmers, ensuring a year-round green fodder supply in India—regardless of season or geography. Our proprietary Nutri Ankurit Feed (NAF), grown using vertical farming for fodder, reaches farmers daily through a robust green fodder delivery network. Shunya’s hydroponic fodder delivery in India helps solve deep-rooted issues of nutrition, cost, and availability. Through our digital veterinary services in rural India, we also provide remote veterinary consultations for livestock, connecting farmers to expert care at the tap of a button. With our expanding network of Growth and Logistics Centres (GLC) and franchise-ready models, Shunya empowers communities, enhances milk productivity, and drives sustainable growth—one farm at a time.

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