Contribution of Dairy Farming in Employment and Household Nutrition in India

Growing consumption of dairy and other livestock products is bringing important nutritional benefits to large segments of the population of developing countries, although many millions of people in developing countries are still not able to afford better-quality diets owing to the higher cost. However, the rapid growth in production and consumption of livestock products also presents risks to human and animal health, the environment and the economic viability of many poor smallholders, but may also offer opportunities for smalland medium-scale dairy industries. Commercial and small scale dairy farming in India is no doubt playing an important role in the total milk production and economy of our country. And almost all regions of India are suitable for setting up dairy farming business. Most of the dairy farmers in India are raising animals in small scale traditional methods. They are not aware about the modern farming methods and improved techniques for dairy farming. As a result, some farmers are losing their investment instead of being benefited. Proper business plan, well management and care can ensure maximum production and profit from dairy farming business. India has vast resources of livestock, which play an important role in the national economy and also in the socioeconomic development of millions of rural households. This is reflected in the fact the country possesses 57% of the world’s buffalo and 16% of the world’s cattle population (Livestock Census, GOI, 2007). The Indian dairy sector contributes a large share (27%) of the agricultural gross domestic product. The contribution of agriculture and livestock sectors to the national GDP is around 15.3% and 3.6% respectively (Central Statistical Organization GOI, 2012). It is estimated that almost 150 million farm households, i.e. more than 750 million people, are engaged in milk production worldwide, the majority of who are in developing countries like India Hemme & Otte J [1]. The livestock plays important role in drought prone area particularly dairying some of the studies have shown that about 65 per cent of the rural poor have livestock for income and drought insurance in semi-arid tropics of India (Walker and Rayan, 1990). According to Nagaratna et al. [2]. the Study has clearly brought out that there was sever reduction in the annual income of the respondents during drought year where as a reduction from livestock was less as compared to crops it is less prone to variation in rainfall and other climatic. Livestock sector particularly dairy farming holds a great promise providing income and employment especially in drought prone because it is labour intensive and employment generated is relatively high (Rangnekar, 2004).