Performance of Livestock Sector in India (With Reference to Bovine Population)

Introduction

Agricultural sector plays a key role in the development of Indian economy.  But most of the Indian farmers depend on monsoons. The evidence shows that frequent crop failures occur due to low rainfall and natural calamities. Most of the farmers in India depend on agriculture and allied activities. Among the allied activities the dairying has been playing a major role by providing livelihoods to the rural people. About 70% of rural households own livestock. Small and marginal farmers account for more than 60% of the total households.

Objectives of the study

1. To know the growth  in the bovine population in India
2. To analyse the trends in milk production and per capita availability of milk
3. To analyse the share of livestock production in GDP
4. To know the world estimates of live stock population & production
5. To present the concluding remarks.

Data Base and Methodology

This study depends on Secondary data. The data relating to livestock, milk production, per capita availability and agriculture & allied activities have been collected from Animal Husbandry department at Hyderabad, Reports of Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), journals and other sources.

Census- Wise Livestock Population of India

Census- Wise Live stock population in India is shown in table 1. Here bovine population includes cattle and buffaloes. In 1951 there were 155.30 million (78%) cattle and 43.40 million (22%) buffaloes, by 2012 the population of cattle was 190.90 million (64%) and that of buffaloes was 108.70 million (34%). It means that the percentage share of cows declined and that of buffaloes significantly increased. It is also evident that the growth of cattle from one census year to another census year is fluctuating. The growth of cattle was negative in 1997 (-2.78%), 2003 (-6.88%) and 2012 (-4.10%). In the case of total livestock also the growth was negative in 2003 (-0.08%) and 2012 (3.33%). The population of buffaloes increased due to high price for buffalo milk and the farmers need not take special care to maintain buffaloes.

Table 1: Census-Wise Livestock Population of India.

Year	Cattle	Growth Over Previous census Year (%)	Buffaloes	Growth Over Previous census Year (%)	Total Bovines	Total Livestock	Growth Over Previous census Year (%)
1951	155.30(78.15)	–	43.40(21.84)	–	198.70	292.80	–
1956	158.70(77.94)	2.18	44.90(22.05)	3.45	203.60	306.60	4.71
1961	175.60(77.42)	10.64	51.20(22.57)	14.03	226.80	335.40	9.39
1966	176.20(76.87)	0.34	53.00(23.12)	3.51	229.20	344.10	2.59
1972	178.30(75.64)	1.19	57.40(24.35)	8.30	235.70	353.60	2.76
1977	180.00(74.88)	0.95	62.00(25.61)	8.01	242.00	369.00	4.35
1982	192.45(73.38)	6.91	69.78(26.61)	12.54	262.23	419.59	13.71
1987	199.69(72.44)	3.76	75.97(27.55)	8.87	275.66	444.29	5.88
1992	204.58(70.84)	2.44	84.21(29.15)	10.84	288.79	470.86	5.98
1997	198.88(68.86)	-2.78	89.92(31.13)	6.78	288.80	485.39	3.08
2003	185.18(65.41)	-6.88	97.92(34.58)	8.89	283.10	485.00	-0.08
2007	199.08(65.39)	7.50	105.34(34.60)	7.57	304.42	529.70	9.07
2012	190.90(63.71)	-4.10	108.70(36.28)	3.18	299.60	512.06	-3.33

Source: Dept. of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture Govt. of India.                                                                                                                                       Note:

1. Figures in Brackets are percentage to total Bovines.
2. Total Livestock Includes: Cattle, Buffaloes, horses, pigs, Donkeys, goats and sheep.
3. Bovines: Cattle, buffaloes

Category– Wise distribution of Bovine Population

Category– Wise distribution of Bovine population is shown in table 2. The cattle population (Cross breed) increased from 33060 thousand in 2007 to 39732 thousand in 2012. In 2012 male cattle accounted for 15.0 percent of total cross breed cattle and that of female for 85.0 percent. About 93.0 percent of the total Cross breed cattle are in rural areas and only 7.0 percent are in urban areas. Of the total C.B female cattle the percentage of cattle in milk is estimated at 42.7 in 2012.

The population of indigenous cattle declined from 166015 thousand in 2007 to 157172 thousand in 2012 registering a negative growth. In 2012 in total indigenous cattle the share of male cattle was 41 percent while that of female is 59 percent. As high as 98 percent of the total indigenous cattle are in rural areas and the rest 2 percent in urban areas. It is observed that the female cattle in milk is low at 35.7 percent in 2012.

It is noticed that the percentage of CB cattle in total cattle increased from 16.60 in 2007 to 20.81 in 2012. But the percentage of indigenous cattle in total cattle population declined from 88.39 percent to 79.19 during the same period. The above statistics also reveal that the increase in total cattle population (CB + Indigenous) during 2007-2012 is insignificant (0.41 percent).

Table 2: Category-Wise Distribution of Bovine Population in India.

Category	2007			2012
	Total	Of which the % of		Total	Of which the % of
		Rural	Urban		Rural	Urban
A. Cross Breed Cattle
Total Male	6844	91.86	8.14	5971	93.22	6.78
Total Female	26216	90.27	9.73	33760	92.63	7.37
Of which Female in milk	10716	90.60	9.40	14305	92.71	7.29
Total Cross Breed Cattle (1+2)	33060	90.60	9.40	39732	92.71	7.29
B.Indigenous Cattle
Total Male	76779	97.67	2.33	61949	98.28	1.72
Total Female	89236	95.65	4.35	89224	96.40	3.60
Of which Female in milk	30687	94.99	5.01	29649	96.04	3.96
Total Indigenous Cattle (1+2)	166015	96.58	3.42	151172	97.17	2.83
Total Bovine (I+II)	199075	95.59	4.41	190904	96.24	3.76

Source: Dept. of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India.

Milk Production and Per Capita Availability of Milk

Milk production and per capita availability of milk in India is shown in table 3. In 1950-51 the total milk production was 17 Million Tonnes (MTs). Human population was 359 million and per capita availability of milk was 130 grams per day. By 2000-01 the milk production increased to 80 Million Tonnes (MTs) and the human population rose to 1019 millions. While the per capita availability of milk was estimated at 217 grams per day. In 2012-13 the milk production was 132.4 Million Tonnes (MTs), the per capita availability of milk was 299 grams/day and the human population was 1212 million. The milk production increased by 7.78 times and human population by 3.38 times during 1950-51 to 2012-13.

Table 3: Milk Production and Per Capita Availability of Milk in India.

Year	Milk Production (Million Tonnes)	Human Population (Millions)	Per Capita Availability  of milk (grams Per day)
1950-51	17.0	359	130
1955-56	19.0(11.76)	393(9.47)	132(1.53)
1960-61	20.0(5.26)	434(10.43)	126(-4.54)
1968-69	21.2(6)	518(19.35)	112(-11.11)
1973-74	23.2(9.43)	580(11.96)	110(-1.78)
1980-81	31.6(36.20)	679(17.06)	128(16.36)
1985-86	44.0(4.4)	755(11.19)	160(25)
1990-91	53.9(22.5)	839(11.12)	176(10)
1995-96	66.2(22.82)	928(10.60)	195(10.79)
2000-01	80.6(21.75)	1019(9.80)	217(11.28)
2005-06	97.1(20.47)	1106(8.53)	241(11.05)
2010-11	121.8(25.43)	1186(7.23)	281(16.59)
2012-13	132.4(8.70)	1212(2.19)	299(6.40)

Source: State/ UT Animal Husbandry Departments

Note: 1.Figures in brackets shows the growth over the previous year.

2. UT: Union Territory.

Compound Annual Growth rates of Milk

Compound Annual Growth rates of Milk are shown in table-4. During the period from 1950-51 to 2012-13 the growth rate of milk fluctuated from year to year. Between 1950-51 and 1960-61 the growth rate was 1.64%, but during 1960-61 to 1973-74 the growth rate was 1.15%. Then it increased to 4.51% during 1973-74 to 1980-81. It further increased to 5.48% during 1980-81 to 1990-91. During 2010-11 to 2012-13 it was recorded at 4.25%. Thus the above analysis reveals that the milk production increased. But there was no steady growth.

Table 4: Compound Annual Growth Rates of Livestock Product (Milk) (In %)

Year	Growth rate of Milk
1950-51 to 1960-61	1.64
1960-61 to 1973-74	1.15
1973-74 to 1980-81	4.51
1980-81 to 1990-91	5.48
1990-91 to 2000-01	4.11
2000-01 to 2010-11	4.22
2010-11 to 2012-13	4.25

 

Share of Agriculture & Allied activities and Livestock sector in GDP of India

The share of agriculture sector in GDP of India at constant prices from 1980-81 to 2012-13 is shown in table 5. Here agriculture sector includes agriculture, forestry& logging, fishing and livestock. It indicates that the share of agriculture sector showed a declining trend from 34.72% in 1980-81 to 11.84 in 2012-13. While the share of livestock sector to total GDP is fluctuating year to year. But the share of livestock sector in agriculture GDP increased from 13.88% in 1980-81 to 29.20% in 2012-13.  Thus the share of agriculture sector in total GDP is declining while the share of livestock sector in agriculture GDP is increasing.

Table 5: Share of Agriculture & Allied Activities and Livestock Sector in GDP of India (Rs.in Billion)

Year		Total GDP		GDP of Agriculture and Allied Sector		GDP of Livestock Sector
		Rs.		Rs.	% to Total GDP	Rs.		% to Total GDP	% to Agriculture GDP
At 1980-81 Prices
1980-81	1224		425		34.72		59	4.82	13.88
1985-86	1566		499		31.86		87	5.56	17.43
1990-91	2123		610		28.73		122	5.75	20.00
At 1993-94 Prices1995-96	8996		2305		25.62	558		6.20	24.21
At 1999-00 Prices 2000-01	18643		4072		21.84	986		5.29	23.50
At 2004-05 Prices 2005-06	32531		5030		15.46		1268	3.90	25.20
2010-11	49370		6068		12.29	1703		3.45	28.07
2012-13	54829		6494		11.84	1896		3.46	29.20

Source: National Accounts Division, Central Statistical Office, M/O Statistics & Programme Implementation.

Note: GDP: Gross Domestic Product.

Comparison with world Estimates

In 2008-09 there were 207 countries in the world with 1347.473 millions of cattle. In the top ten countries in cow milk production India is in 2^nd position. India’s contribution to the world milk production declined from 13.02 percent in 2008-09 to 9.5 percent in 2011-12.

In 2008-09 there were 41 countries with 180.703 millions of buffaloes. In top 10 countries in buffalo milk production India is in 1^st position. Indonesia and Thailand are in 9^th and 10^th positions respectively. India’s contribution to the world buffalo milk production declined from 54.56 percent in 2008-09 to 52 percent in 2011-12.  However India is still in the 1^st position. Srilanka and Turkey are in 9^th and 10^th positions respectively.

Despite India being the largest milk producer in the world, its yield continues to remain low at 1.1 tonnes per head during 2010-12. USA has the world’s highest milk yield with 9.7 tonnes per head followed by European Union (6.6 tonnes per head) during the same period.

Conclusion

It is observed that the buffalo population is increasing. But the growth in cattle and total live stock was negative in 2012. The percentage of cross breed cattle is increasing while that of indigenous is declining slowly. In 2012 the percentage of male cattle in total indigenous cattle was high (41.0%) and the same in crossbreed cattle was low at 15.0%. The production of milk and per capita availability of milk increased significantly over a period of time. At the same time the share of live stock sector in Agriculture GDP showed increasing trend. The statistics reveal that India is the largest milk producer in the world. But the milk yield per head is low. Hence there is need to raise the milk yield in order to enhance the per capita availability of milk and to meet the increasing demand. Measures must be taken to protect the cattle and to increase their number.

References

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