Analyzing the prospects of organic dairy production in India’s future

Introduction

Concerns about conventional farming, which uses artificial inputs to increase yields while harming the environment and people, have led to a resurgence of interest in organic agriculture and animal husbandry. One of the main causes of biodiversity loss is intensive farming, which introduces foreign species, clears land, breaks up vegetation, modifies ecosystems, and erodes soil. On the other hand, organic farming creates a dynamic and sustainable environment for the production of food and feed by increasing soil organic matter and biology, which helps both flora and fauna. Natural resources are deteriorating in regions where intensive farming has been practiced for a long time. Toxic residues from chemicalintensive farming are found in the food chain, according to numerous studies. An organic production system can meet consumer demands for high animal welfare standards, product traceability, chemical-free, healthful, and environmentally friendly meals. Consequently, Indian farmers are raising organic livestock and crops. It is the only interesting and practical solution for sustainable agriculture in developing nations because of its special combination of low-cost external inputs and technology, environmental preservation, and input/output efficiency. Organic dairy farming is very recent in comparison to organic agriculture. In the 1990s, organic dairy emerged as a significant player in the organic market. It was seen late in India. Cows fed organic feed must be given pasture or outdoor area, and antibiotics and hormones must be reduced. Its objective is to stay away from GMO breeding materials, feed additives, and medications. The production of organic dairy products depends on animal welfare. Organic dairy farming follows goal-oriented criteria to ensure organic purity.

The sluggish adoption of green revolution technologies has prevented many towns and regions from using agrochemicals. These regions are known as "organic zones." North Eastern India has a lot of potential for organic farming due to its low chemical use. 18 million hectares of such land might be used for systematic organic farming. The Trans-Gangetic plains, including Punjab, Haryana, Western U.P., and portions of Rajasthan, have the greatest crop husbandry intensification, including agrochemicals, inorganic fertilizers, and crop rotations. However, this region's dairy production is less developed than in other wealthy countries, which makes it easily convertible to organic practices. Since smallholders use low-input, agricultural residual feed to produce 70% of the nation's milk, organic dairy farming has a bright future. Therefore, low-input, profitable, and ecologically conscious production should be possible with these systems. Organic dairy production is under risk due to the industry's high percentage of landless and small-scale dairy farmers, particularly because of certification and traceability concerns. These small-scale farmers, who only produce a few liters of milk per day, are unable to sell their milk as organic due to illiteracy and the absence of a local organic market. The cooperative may contribute to the growth of organic dairy production in these isolated interior areas by certifying, obtaining, processing, and marketing organic milk. Because organic products are not as well-liked in the nation, manufacturers have to export them in order to get paid more. Compared to fruits, cereals, and herbs, animal products are almost never exported from developing countries and make up a small share of the organic market. Thus, organic dairy farming in India must be honestly assessed for its pros, disadvantages, prospects, and dangers.

Strengths Availability of quality indigenous breeds:

In organic dairy production, breed requirements differ significantly by region. One dairy cow is neither successful nor advised in India's diverse population. Unlike other countries, India has a variety of excellent native breeds for every location. Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi, Rathi, Tharparker, Murrah, Surti, Nili Ravi, Jaffrabadi, and Mehsana buffalo are the top native milk producers.

Natural and integrated farming system: Agro-ecosystem complexity, crop variety, the transition from monoculture to mosaic, and the best possible spatial and temporal component integration are all part of organic farming. Organic livestock agriculture is a good fit for India's integrated crop-livestock farming system with a varied animal population. Near organic farming, the majority of Indian farmers continue to practice natural farming with little external inputs, particularly for animal production, and maximum on-farm reliance. Including a variety of crops and animals guarantees the availability of inputs for dairy and agricultural enterprises as well as efficient recycling of byproducts. Additionally, its synergistic interactions make a greater contribution than their separate impacts.

Resistance to diseases: Indian dairy breeds are good for organic care since they are less vulnerable to sickness and stress and use less allopathic medicine/antibiotics. Ayurvedic or homeopathic medicine may be used to address medical conditions. Indian farmers' rich biodiversity and traditional knowledge may aid in the treatment and rehabilitation of sick animals. Increased research provided adequate information and technology for disease prevention and nutrition control in organic dairy production systems.

Animal welfare: Unlike in Western countries, dairy farming in India is primarily extensive or semi-extensive and does not employ animals as commercial vehicles. Because of their morals and religious beliefs, common Indian farmers defend animal welfare.

Indigenous technical knowledge:

Traditional Indian knowledge encompasses all facets of agriculture. Farmers frequently use herbal remedies such as Ayurveda. India has an advantage over developed countries since allopathic medicine is rarely used, saving money.

Better performance of dairy animals: Although organic farming lowers yields by 10%, organic cows may still yield well. Buffaloes raised organically outperformed those raised conventionally in terms of lengths, 305-day milk production, and overall lactation yields. Studies conducted in Europe indicated that 80-105% of the milk produced by organic buffaloes was healthier than that of controls. Despite typically reduced milk output, organic care reduces metabolic stress. Reproductive function frequently becomes better. Organic livestock may provide milk that is equivalent if given the right nutrients.

Weaknesses

Small and Marginal farmer: Dairy and agricultural production in India is dominated by small and marginal farmers. Seventy percent of the milk came from small farms. Milk and other products are difficult to track due to the large number of small producers. Due to increased local demand for organic commodities and India's historic cooperative tradition, notably in dairy, co-operative dairy farming and contract farming may overtake small and marginal farmers. For organic milk production and marketing, study the Kerala Ksheerasamruddhi model, which employs Self Help Groups to produce, bottle, and transport high-quality milk to customers.

Incidence of disease:

Even though rinderpest has been eradicated in India, the quality and export of dairy products are restricted by foot and mouth disease and mastitis in some areas. To produce organic milk, India needs to upgrade its unclean production and processing facilities. Bans on preventative treatment and outdoor rearing put organic animals in peril. The biggest threat to animal health and organic dairy products is parasites. Hermansen (2003) [20] and Kouba (2003) [29] . In western countries with strict organic requirements, product clearance depends on controlling these diseases. Plant extracts, homeopathic treatment, special forage crops, improved pasture species like Lotus pedunculates, which has a high condensed tannin content, and rational grazing management (moving stock to uninfected areas or diluting strategies by alternating or mixing species on the same grassland) can all help to slow these issues.

Production drop and Cost concern:

According to studies conducted worldwide, organic dairy cattle produce 10-18% less milk than conventional dairy cow, but they can produce significantly more under ideal circumstances. Due to feed restrictions, organic dairy cows may be less nutritious. This worry was allayed by numerous investigations that identified no appreciable health disparities. Milk production decreased in the early years of organic dairy production. Farmers in India would not be able to withstand the slight output loss due to the lower productivity of native animals and the presence of small dairy owners, which could discourage them from converting. The fact that producing organic dairy involves extra work is another problem. Organic farms need 10-20% more work than conventional farms. Costly organic inputs are also typical. Though most organic farming systems have lower overall expenses than equivalent conventional farms, they need more labor to manage the same number of hectares or cows, hence net market revenue per unit of labor may not be greater. Increasing consumer willingness to pay higher prices, cutting expenses with a more established market chain, as well as providing farmers with subsidies during periods of production loss.

Lack of organic farming knowhow and proper training:

The majority of assistance is concentrated on boosting productivity per unit input and time because decades of chemical-based farming have decimated indigenous technological knowledge bases in the majority of developing countries. The negative impacts of inorganic agriculture products are likewise not well marketed. The promotion of organic dairy farming is hampered by Indian farmers' lack of knowledge about the challenges of organic agriculture. There is insufficient training about organic dairy production standards and methods. This gap, which is typically brought about by a lack of qualified employees in extension and training organizations, may close as Indian farmers use ICT more.

Opportunities Consumer awareness and demand for healthy food:

Organic goods have been more expensive over the last decade due to lifestyle choices and process quality. Consumer interest in organic farming tends to be driven by health, environmental effect, and animal welfare. Organic dairy products are in demand in the US, EU, Japan, Argentina, and Brazil due to rising per capita income, lifestyle changes, and eating preferences. Literacy is rising and media are raising consumer awareness of animal welfare and healthful diets. This may increase domestic organic food consumption.

Grass or crop residue based feeding:

The majority of cattle in India are raised by small, marginal farmers with limited resources. The main foods given to animals are straw and grasses. Animals in rural India consume naturally occurring grasses and shrubs with low protein and calorie content because fodder production is uncommon. Their reliance on seasonal fluctuations has a year-round impact on the milk supply. In rural India, 40-60% of the dry matter consumed by animals comes from crop waste. Growing more legumes would improve feed quality and offer other advantages because integrated and well-diversified crop livestock husbandry is more prevalent. Commercial concentrates are less necessary when home-grown proteinrich concentrates like beans and peas are used. Annual legumes that self-seed could be advantageous for organic and low-input farming systems. To improve grasslands, prevent grazing and introduce extremely nutritious grasses. Involve the well-developed and powerful Indian local Panchayat system.

Protecting and enhancing bio diversity and positive social impact: Organic farming generates microbial energy and is ecologically beneficial. Beneficial insects have been destroyed by chemicals, which have also damaged the ecology. Organic livestock farmers must manage manure to prevent crop, soil, and water pollution and maximize nutrient recycling. This will help restore biodiversity in green revolution regions and preserve natural resources in other farming-dominated areas. Organic dairy farming has societal benefits in rural areas. For a few organic growers in Higher living standards are the main benefit in developing countries like China and India. Organic farming results in lower unemployment, better product prices, fewer chemical health issues, and a decline in rural emigration.

Threats

Foreign market dependence: Due to poor hygienic conditions, diseases, traceability problems, and selfsufficiency in importing nations, organic dairy products are dangerous to trade globally and may discourage Indian producers. Political constraints on agricultural imports from developing countries are a significant limiting factor due to the low local demand and price premium.

Polluted natural resources: For decades, over use of pesticides and fertilizers has deteriorated water, soil, and other natural resources. India uses fewer pesticides than other developed nations, but it still has a problem with pesticide residues. Fodder, animal feed concentrates, milk, eggs, meat, and human food have all been contaminated by excessive pesticide application (Prasad and Chhabra, 2001). In milk samples from high-chemical agricultural regions like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, etc., pesticide residue declined but did not completely disappear. Dairy products and other high-fat meals include less common, fat-soluble organophosphorus insecticides such acephate, diazinone, phorate, chlorpyriphos, and malathion. Only a few Ganga samples showed quinalphos, parathion-methyl, and ethion, whereas ground water samples from UP regions had malathion and monocrotophos Pesticides, mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic are regularly discovered in Indian milk samples. Even while organic milk contains less pesticide residue than normal milk, improper use could contaminate it with environmental pollutants. These chemicals should be avoided by organic and nearby crops.

Organic dairy farming standard: India lacks a welldeveloped framework to supervise organic dairy production, which must fulfill tight rules. Given the unique peculiarities of Indian dairy producers, blindly following western organic dairy standards is impossible.

Fodder shortage: India needs 1097 million tonnes of green and 609 million tonnes of dry feed, but only 400.6 and 466 million tonnes are available. The shortfall of 63.50% and 23.56% of green and dry fodder versus actual demand would expand to 64.21% and 24.81% by 2020.Farmers will likely not be able to acquire additional fodder land due to population pressure and land scarcity. Over time, available grazing pastures likewise decrease. Thus, the green fodder deficit may worsen.

Conclusion

Dairy farming techniques are expected to provide milk, preserve the environment, care for animals, and increase biodiversity. Indigenous cow farming knowledge, biodiversity, cheap labor, reduced organic dairy farming expenses, and an unexplored huge domestic market make organic dairy production a feasible option for Indian dairy farmers. But its tight standards make widespread impossible. Indian farmers must use their advantages to overcome obstacles. Farmers can participate in organic production and benefit the environment, livestock, and people with successive capacity and knowledge building, certifying organizations, and organic dairy product promotion to increase consumer awareness of organic products, their environmental friendliness, and their ability to maintain natural resource quality. Strong government regulations for organic farming and genuine implementation by everybody are necessary to overcome past challenges. stakeholders.

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