April 30, 2020

India's lockdown leads to lower cattle feed production

The imposition of lockdown in India has led to a slower cattle feed production, thereby resulting in lesser milk quantity that is being produced in the region, reported The Times of India.

As soon as the lockdown came into effect, the units producing cattle feed were shut due to non-availability of workers and restrictions imposed on the movement of transport vehicles. Though many production facilities have started in the region with the relaxation in lockdown rules, many are still closed due to non-availability of raw material required to produce cattle feed.

The feed is prepared from cotton seeds which are crushed and then converted into cakes by adding materials required to make a cohesion. Such cotton seed cakes are highly nutritious and also costly. The cotton trade to textile hubs has stopped. One such textile manufacturing hub in Ichhalkaranji thrashes the cotton balls and provides the seeds to the cattle-feed manufacturing facilities.

The other major source of raw material are the thrashed grain crops. Now that the harvesting has been carried out in most of the farms, the thrashed crops have been burnt in the fields resulting in its low availability.

Gokul, the largest co-operative dairy in the region, has its own cattle-feed manufacturing facility. The dairy provides the feed to farmers who in turn supply milk to the dairy.

V D Patil, manager of the Gokul's cattle-feed facility said, "We are using molasses from the sugar mills and supplements to make the cattle feed pellets. Currently, we are making around 400 tonne of cattle feed, much lesser than what we produce on any other normal day."

"There will be a dip in milk production as the amount of milk given by buffaloes or cows depends on the amount of feed given to them. However, we are ensuring that farmers get some amount of feed to ensure the cattle keeps producing milk."

There is a huge shortage of cattle feed even in the rural parts of Sangli and Satara. A farmer from Atpadi taluka in Sangli district said he was using stored grain and grain from ration shops to feed the cattle.

"Due to shortage, the feed suppliers are charging more than the usual rates. The dairies are paying us less claiming that the demand for milk in cities has gone done and there is excess milk with them. The government has capped the procurement rates at INR26, local dairies are paying INR20 per litre for milk. In such conditions, buying the feed at higher rates will be our loss," said the farmer.

According to dairy farmers, around 500 g feed needs to be given to the buffaloes and cows for getting a litre of milk. If the procurement price of milk is INR26 as per government norm, then around INR15 is spent on the feed which leaves the farmers with very little money in their hands.