Turning Sour?

India’s thriving dairy sector, which provides farmers with an alternative source of income, is beset by challenges, including the government’s new restrictive rules on cattle trade.

- Anupama Katakam

THE DAIRY SECTOR, WHICH HAS LARGELY been a stable one providing farmers with an alternative source of livelihood, is now facing challenges from the current agrarian crisis and the new rules restricting sale of cattle. Farmers and industry experts said that this could severely jeopardise the sector.

India was the world’s top milk producer in 2015-16 with 155.5 million tonnes. Dairying is an integral part of the farming system and shares a symbiotic relationship with agriculture.

“Recent announcements by the Centre have been very detrimental to cattle farmers and this will have an adverse impact on milk production,” said Sunil Sonawane, a farmer inKolhapur district,Maharashtra. “The advantage with milk is that in case of crop failure or any agrarian crisis, most farmers will have a few cows and buffaloes that bail them out. Sale of milk helps tide over difficult situations and provides an extra income if the crop is successful. If this source of income is put at risk, which they are doing with the new cattle sale regulations, the farming community faces a very bleak future,” he added.

The new rules prohibit the sale of cows in animal markets for slaughter and to non-agriculturists. This will deprive the farmer of the income that traditionally came from selling non-milch and ageing cattle. Agriculturists are now the only ones permitted to buy cattle, but they will not be interested in non-milch or ageing animals, which are of little use to them. Feeding and maintaining livestock involves substantial costs and if an animal is of nouse, the alreadydistressed farmer is leftwith amassive liability.