DAIRY SCENARIO IN PATIALA DISTRICT OF PUNJAB

Dalip.K. Gosain*, Ram Chand**, Ashwani Sharma***, Omvir Singh****

*Scientist (S.S.), KVK/TTC, **Head Dairy Extension,

***Sr. Scientist, DCB,****Vet. Surgeon, Dairy Extension.

Animal Husbandry Department and MILKFED Punjab have created various

infrastructural facilities at the grass root levels. The veterinary and dairy
extension services provided by these organisations resulted in increased milk
production in the state. Large network of village Milk Producer’s Cooperative
Societies and the Milk Producers have witnessed a remarkable change in the last
two decades in terms of enhanced milk production. Two milk plants one of Milkfed
and another of Milkfood handle a large quantity of milk in making different dairy
products in Patiala district.

The increased milk production over the years dropped suddenly to the tune of 30-35
per cent in the month of June-August 2003 as compared to these months in the year
2002. This unwarranted situation called for the attention of policy makers and the
dairy professionals to look in to the reasons for the low milk production in the
state, which supply fluid milk and milk products to the adjoining states of the
country.

Keeping this in view a team of experts from NDRI conducted a survey by visiting
various villages of District Patiala. Farmers’ perception and the expert opinion
of the officials working in the MILKFED and MILK FOOD milk plants located in this
district towards the current dairy scenario were ascertained. The possible
factors, which lead to the current drop in milk production and procurement, were
identified.

Based on the livestock census 1997 conducted by the animal husbandry department
Punjab, it was observed that district Sangrur and Ludhiana had the highest
population of buffaloes and cattle respectively.

As per the targets and achievements of animal husbandry department of Punjab Table
2, it is evident that the milk production has constantly increased from the year
1995-96 till 2001-02 and the same is true for per capita availability of milk in
grams in the state. The increased milk production over the years dropped suddenly
to the tune of 30-35 per cent in the month of June-August 2003 as reported by
various sources.

There is a network of 1362 veterinary hospitals and 1443 veterinary dispensaries

(total 2805 Institutions) in the state providing various facilties and services to
the dairy farmers. As reported by the animal husbandry department the number of
artificial insemination performed with frozen and chilled semen during the year
2000-01 are presented in table 3.

For the production and regular supply of pedigreed bulls of exotic cross bred
breeds and buffalo bulls, two cattle breeding farms and one buffalo breeding farm
have been set up in the State. At Patiala farm, bulls of exotic breeds namely H.F.
and Jersey are produced. It is observed from the table2 that the total numbers of
artificial inseminations carried out were decreased to 13.78 lakhs in the year
2000-01, which was almost similar as 13.77 lakhs in the year 1995-1996.

Kahlon (2003) observed that “The genetic potential and performance of our cows
is equally unsatisfactory as that of buffaloes. In spite of the fact that we
started crossbreeding long back, the outlook of the Directorate of Animal
Husbandry has not gone much beyond health cover for animals. That is why several
schemes like the “key village” programmes or the intensive cattle development
projects did not lead to great success”.

Based on the survey conducted in various villages of district Patiala, it was

found that the milk production has decreased during summer season 2003 as compared
to last year and the probable reasons are listed below:

1. Higher costs of feeds and fodders and low milk price have compelled the
farmers of this district to reduce their herd size in the recent past. It was
observed that this trend is prevalent since last 3 years and remained un-noticed
by the dairy development depatmetnts. A large number of small and marginal farmers
have sold their animals so to reduce their herd size. It was also observed that
the commercial dairy farmers having 15-38 dairy animals mainly buffaloes are
continuing with dairy farming. They too emphasised that its not a profitable.

2. Majority of the dairy farmers opined that less rainfall in the year 2002
created scarcity of green fodders and even the price of wheat straw touched Rs.
400.00 per quintal which compelled them to reduce the herd size as they could not
afford the fodders and feeds to the large herd they possessed earlier.

3. Majority of the dairy farmers now view dairying as time consuming and non-
profitable enterprise in the mixed farming system as the price of milk is so low
that the they can afford to feed the required ration to the milch animals which
has lead to low milk production.

4. Some of the large dairy farmers opined that the message through various
channels regarding the import of milk powder and milk products in coming years
have discouraged them, with the result they are also in a planning process to
reduce their herd size too.

The Punjab State Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Limited popularly known as
MILKFED Punjab, with its network of over 6500 village Milk Producer’s Cooperative
Societies and over 3 lakh Milk Producers not only provides assured market to Milk
Producers but also carries inputs to Milk Production en-hancement at their
doorsteps.

Based on the discussions and records available with the officials of MILKFED milk
plant located near village Hassanpur and MILKFOOD dairy plant located at
Bhadurgarh road in Patiala district, it was observed that in the month of July-
August 2003 the plants operated far below the actual handling capacity per day. It
was found that the milk production and procurement in the area of 60 km. (about
1240 villages) around these milk plants, decreased up to 35 percent during summer
season 2003 as compared to the year 2002. The various identified reasons for
decrease in the milk production in summer season 2003 are listed below:

1. In the year 2002 because of the draught in villages of district Patiala only
25 percent dairy animals could conceive in the month of April-June and the
remaining breedable 75 percent conceived in the month of September-October. The
delayed calving has caused shortage of milk production.

2. Govt. of Punjab is very strict in monitoring and evaluating the milk samples
drawn from various sources. With the fear of not having adulterated milk, the
quantity of synthetic and adulterated milk has probably decreased and has led to
low milk procurement.
Conclusions:
Dairy farmers of the Patiala district do not perceive dairying profitable, as the
prices for various required inputs are high and the price of milk sold on the
basis of fat percentage is non-remunerative. Keeping this in view for having
viable and sustainable dairy farming amongst different categories of farmers cost
of the concentrates, feeds and straw should be reduced. Price of milk should be
increased so that the farmers are not compelled to reduce their herd size which
will not only lead to low milk production in the State but may create some other
social problems including unemployment.

There is an urgent need to educate the farmers that they should not sell their
animals by doing so the superior germ plasm will be retained in the state for
producing good off-springs in future for enhancing milk production. There are
numerous examples that keeping cross-bred cattle with economical rations is
profitable. We have reached a stage that the discouraged dairy farmers need be
encouraged for having elite herd with economical feeding and more milk production.
Health cover for animals remained our prime area, for increasing the milk
production the field functionaries have to reorient their strategies and
functioning so to plan the dairy farms of different categories of dairy farmers in
rural areas in a systems’ perspective.

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Published 2005