Livestock population dynamics in India: A comparative species-wise trends from 2007 to 2019

Introduction

The animal husbandry and livestock sector plays a vital role in strengthening rural livelihood and supporting the economic development of India. The country possesses one of the largest and most diverse livestock resources in the World, which has contributed significantly to human civilization as well as the national economy (Unnati et al., 2019) [11] . Livestock production provides a regular source of income and helps reduce seasonal fluctuations in livelihood opportunities, particularly among economically vulnerable rural households (Birthal and Ali, 2005) [5] . This sector contributes approximately 4.11% to India's gross domestic product (GDP) and 25.6% to agricultural GDP (Yadav et al., 2021) [12] and provides employment to about 8.8% of the total population including small and marginal farmers, women and landless agricultural workers (Singh et al., 2022; Bhardwaj et al., 2018) [10,4] . India possesses the world's largest livestock population, accounting for approximately 59.29% of the global buffalo population and 19.46% of World's cattle population. Globally India ranks first in cattle and buffalo population, second in goat, third in sheep and tenth in camel population (Sharma et al., 2018; Mondal and Mishra, 2022) [9,7] . At global level, the livestock sector is undergoing continuous transformation, particularly in developing countries such as India, where production systems are evolving in response to the growing demand for milk, meat and other livestock-derived products.

Methodology

The present study was based on secondary data on livestock population in India obtained from 18 th (2007), 19 th (2012) and 20 th (2019) Livestock Census reports of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India. Livestock population data for cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, pigs, horses and ponies, mule, camel, donkey, Mithun and Yak, were compiled and comparatively analysed. Category-wise data on milch animals and total bovine population were also considered. Percentages change between successive census periods was calculated to assess population growth or decline. The findings were presented through tables and figures and interpreted in relation to breeding, management, disease, market demand, environmental conditions and government interventions.

Overview of Livestock Population in India

India has witnessed substantial growth in its livestock population, increasing from 292.80 million in 1951 to 536.76 million in 2019. As per the 20 th livestock census, the country recorded an overall growth of 4.8% in livestock population during the intercensal period of 2012-2019 (Table 1 2). This pattern suggests a growing preference among livestock owners for maintain female cattle, primarily because of their greater productive and reproductive ability. The population of exotic/crossbred cattle increased substantially, by 20.18% and 29.27% during 2007-2012 and 2012-2019 periods, respectively. Conversely, the population of indigenous cattle, including both descript and non-descript animals, declined by 8.94% and 5.99%, respectively, during these two periods. Although a marked reduction in indigenous cattle was observed during 2007-2012, the rate of decline became comparatively less pronounced after 2012. Among major states, Odisha recorded the highest decline in cattle population (-15.01%), whereas the highest increase of 28.16% was reported in 2019 compared with previous census of 2012. Based on their productive and functional characteristics, Indian cattle breeds are broadly classified into Milch, Drought and Dual-purpose breeds (Rai et al., 2023) [8] . The increasing emphasis on the conservation of native breeds and government initiatives such as the Gokul mission may have contributed to slowing the decline in native cattle population. Nevertheless, data from the last five censuses indicate considerable fluctuations in the growth pattern of India's cattle population. This variation may be associated with several socioeconomic and structural factors, including rapid urbanization, declining availability of agricultural labour and inadequate economic returns from dairying. Although several states have implemented cattle protection legislation for many years, the overall growth of the cattle population has remained inconsistent, indicating that legislative protection alone may not be sufficient to ensure sustained growth and conservation of cattle resources.

Buffalo population

The buffalo population in India has exhibited a generally increasing trend since 1950 (Dey et al., 2024) [6] . During the period from 2007-2012, the buffalo population increased from 105.34 million to 108.70 million, representing a growth of 3.19%. According to the 20th Livestock Census (2019), the total buffalo population further increased to 109.85 million, registering a growth of 1.1% compared to 2012 census. India continues to rank first globally in buffalo population, accounting for approximately 59.29% of the World's total buffalo population. A considerable increase was observed in the female buffalo population, which grew by 7.93% during 2007 to 2012 and by a further 8.72% during 2012-2019. In contrast, the male buffalo population declined sharply by 42.35% between the 2012 and 2019 censuses (Table 2). Despite these sex-wise differences, the overall buffalo population in India has maintained an increasing trend over the past decade, consistent with the pattern observed across the last five livestock censuses. Among the major buffaloproducing states, Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest increase of 25.88% in buffalo population, whereas Haryana experienced a decline of 28.22% compared with census of 2012. The sustained growth of buffalo husbandry in India may partly be attributed to consumer preferences for fat rich milk, as buffalo milk generally contains nearly twice the fat content of cow milk. Consequently, in response to market demand and the economic value of buffalo milk, farmers increasingly prefer buffaloes over cattle and some other livestock species. Notably, the buffalo population has continued to increase consistently despite the absence of a nationwide ban on buffalo slaughter, highlighting the important economic role of buffaloes in Inda's livestock sector.

Goat population

Goat constitute more than one-fourth (27%) of India's total livestock population, making them one of the most important livestock species in the country. The goat population declined from 140.54 million in 2007 to 135.17 million in 2012, representing a decrease of 3.82%. However, according to the 20 th Livestock Census (2019), the goat population increased substantially to 148.88 million, registering a growth of 10.14% compared with the previous census (Table 2). The considerable rise in goat numbers during recent census period may be attributed to several factors, including the increasing consumer demand for chevon, growth in meat exports, growing awareness regarding the nutritional and potential medicinal value of goat milk, and the relative ease of managing goats compared with other livestock species. There was considerable variation in goat population across different states. Rajasthan recorded the highest population, with approximately 20.8 million goats. However, the highest rate of increase was observed in West Bengal, where the goat population increased by 41.49% compared with the previous census.

Milch animal population

The population of milch animals in India showed varying trends across cattle, buffaloes and goats during the successive livestock census periods. The total population of milch cattle increased from 62.45 million in 2007 to 67.54 million in 2012, registering a growth of 8.15%, and further increased to 74.59 million in 2019, showing a growth of 1044% over 2012. This increase was mainly attributed to the rise in cattle in milk, which increased by 1 8. 98% during 2012-2019, although the dry cattle population declined by 5.47% during the same period. The population of total milch buffaloes increased from 48.64 million in 2007 to 51.05 million in 2012, representing a growth of 4.95%, but remained unchanged at 51.07 million in 2019, with a marginal increase of only 0.04% over 2012. The population of buffaloes in milk increased by 4.35, whereas dry buffaloes declined by 10.15% during 2012-2019. In contrast, milch goats declined slightly from 62.48 million in 2019, registering a growth of 13.14%. Both In milk and dry goat populations increased during 2012-2019 by 15.39%n and 9.92%, respectively (Table 3 and Fig. 3). Overall, the trend indicates a general increase in the population of productive milch animals during 2012-2019, particularly cattle and goats, while the buffalo population remained relatively stable.

References

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