Surinder Sud: Animal spirits

FARM VIEW

Livestock, which has done well even while traditional crops haven't, is now set for another big leap.

The livestock sector, a success story, has played a disaster-management role, providing the much-needed economic and social security and serving as an insurance against crop failures, for the rural poor. Strategies are now in the offing to not only speed its growth but also to enable it to meet the emerging demand for designer animal products that can be consumed even by those suffering from coronary and other diseases. Milk, eggs and other products having medicinal and curative traits (nutraceuticals) incorporated into them are also on the way.

This apart, animal husbandry can play a significant role in poverty alleviation, besides combating malnutrition, especially protein malnourishment, feels M K Bujarbaruah, deputy director-general (animal sciences) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). His logic to support this is simple, as also sound. Small and marginal farmers and landless labourers, who are economically the most deprived and vulnerable sections, are the owners of the bulk of the country's vast livestock wealth.

About 72 per cent of cattle, 66 per cent of buffaloes, 68 per cent of poultry and 85 per cent of pigs are owned by these sections. An increase in the productivity of these animals will reflect in the alleviation of their poverty. "Of course, massive support and public-private partnership are needed for this purpose," Bujarbaruah points out.

The livestock sector, in any case, has grown steadily as compared to the deceleration in the output of the crops sector. The production of milk has grown from 80 million tonnes in 2000-01 to over 100 million tonnes in 2006-07, showing an increase of 20 million tonnes in six years "" an annual growth of 3.2 per cent.

Similarly the output of meat has clocked an annual growth of 2.25 per cent with the animal meat production rising from 5.3 million tonnes to 6.1 million tonnes and poultry meat from 1.31 million tonnes to over 2 million tonnes. The egg count has spurted from 36 billion to 50 billion in the past six years. Thus, while the annual growth of the dairy sector as a whole works out at around 3.5 per cent, that of the poultry sector is far higher at 8 per cent.

Consequently, while the agriculture sector's share in the country's GDP has been on the slide, shrinking to 18 per cent now, the livestock sector's share in the agricultural GDP has steadily risen to 25.6 per cent. If fisheries is also included in this, the total share of the livestock sector comes to a substantial 36 per cent. Milk, with a production level exceeding 100 million tonnes, is now virtually the country's largest crop, outstripping rice (around 93 million tonnes) and wheat (75 million tonnes). The value (price) of milk, too, is higher than that of wheat and ordinary rice.

However, considering that over 80 per cent of the country's population has no inhibition about consuming non-vegetarian food if they can afford it, the demand for animal products is slated to rise substantially, aided also by rising incomes and the growing population.

Since the production of pulses is not increasing, the protein requirement would have to be met from animal products. It is felt that these products would have to provide about one-third, or about 20 grams, of the 60 grams protein per person per day as envisaged under the National Nutrition Policy.

Of this, 50 per cent, or 10 grams, will have to be targeted from milk, four grams each from meat and fish and two grams from eggs. This will require milk production to rise from the present 100 million tonnes to at least 160 million tonnes by 2015.

Similarly, the output of eggs would have to jump to 120 billion from the present 50 billion and that of meat to 10.5 million tonnes from 6 million tonnes. "Considering the past record, these targets are attainable," maintains Bujarbaruah.

Animal scientists of the ICAR have already begun working on meeting this demand as well as the new demand for tailor-made animal products emanating from health-conscious consumers. People want eggs and meat with low cholesterol. They also want milk, eggs and meat fortified with nutraceuticals to have curative effects.

The work now initiated along these lines may begin showing results in the next four to five years. However, such research requires biotechnological interventions and is costly by nature. Adequate funding support is, therefore, called for.

surinder.sud@bsmail.in