FACULTY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND ALLIED
INDUSTRIES
TOPIC : - Role of Livestock in Indian
Livestock plays an important role in Indian economy. About 20.5 million people
depend upon livestock for their livelihood. Livestock contributed 16% to the income of
small farm households as against an average of 14% for all rural households. Livestock
provides livelihood to two-third of rural community. It also provides employment to about
8.8 % of the population in India. India has vast livestock resources. Livestock sector
contributes 4.11% GDP and 25.6% of total Agriculture GDP.
Livestock resources
India is
World’s highest livestock owner at about 535.78 million
First in the total buffalo population in the world - 109.85 million buffaloes
Second in the population of goats - 148.88 million goats
Second largest poultry market in the world
Second largest producer of fish and also second largest aquaculture nation in the
world
Third in the population of sheep (74.26 millions)
Fifth in in the population of ducks and chicken (851.81 million)
Tenth in camel population in the world - 2.5 lakhs
Source : 20th Livestock Census
Contribution of livestock to people
The livestock provides food and non-food items to the people.
1. Food: The livestock provides food items such as Milk, Meat and Eggs for human
consumption. India is number one milk producer in the world. It is producing
about 176.34 million tones of milk in a year (2017-18). Similarly it is producing
about 95.22 billions of eggs, 7.70 million tonnes of meat in a year. The value of
output of livestock sector at current prices was Rs 9, 17,910 crores at current
prices during 2016-17 which is about 31.25% of the value of output from
agricultural and allied sector. At constant prices the value of output from livestock
was about 31.11% of the value of the output from total agriculture and allied
sector. During the financial year 201718, the total fish production in India is estim
ated at 12.61 Million Metric tonnes.
2. Fibre and skins: The livestock also contributes to the production of wool, hair,
hides, and pelts. Leather is the most important product which has a very high
export potential. India is producing about 41.5 million Kg of wool per annum
during 2017-18.
3. Draft: Bullocks are the back bone of Indian agriculture. Despite lot of
advancements in the use of mechanical power in Indian agricultural operations,
the Indian farmer especially in rural areas still depend upon bullocks for various
agricultural operations. The bullocks are saving a lot on fuel which is a necessary
input for using mechanical power like tractors, combine harvesters etc. Pack
animals like camels, horses, donkeys, ponies, mules etc are being extensively
used to transport goods in different parts of the country in addition to bullocks. In
situations like hilly terrains mules and ponies serve as the only alternative to
transport goods. Similarly, the army has to depend upon these animals to
transport various items in high areas of high altitude.
4. Dung and other animal waste materials: Dung and other animal wastes serve
as very good farm yard manure and the value of it is worth several crores of
rupees. In addition it is also used as fuel (bio gas, dung cakes), and for
construction as poor man’s cement (dung).
5. Storage: Livestock are considered as 'moving banks' because of their
potentiality to dispose off during emergencies. They serve as capital and in cases
of landless agricultural labourers many time it is the only capital resource they
possess. Livestock serve as an asset and in case of emergencies they serve as
guarantee for availing loans from the local sources such as money lenders in the
villages.
6. Weed control: Livestock are also used as Biological control of brush, plants and
weeds.
7. Cultural: Livestock offer security to the owners and also add to their self esteem
especially when they are owning prized animals such as pedigreed bulls, dogs
and high yielding cows/ buffaloes etc.
8. Sports / recreation: People also use the animals like cocks, rams, bulls etc for
competition and sports. Despite ban on these animal competitions the cock
fights, ram fights and bull fights (jalli kattu) are quite common during festive
seasons.
9. Companion animals: Dogs are known for their faithfulness and are being used
as companions since time immemorial. When the nuclear families are increasing
in number and the old parents are forced to lead solitary life the dogs, cats are
providing the needed company to the latter thus making them lead a comfortable
life.
Role of livestock in farmers’ economy
The livestock plays an important role in the economy of farmers. The farmers in India
maintain mixed farming system i.e. a combination of crop and livestock where the
output of one enterprise becomes the input of another enterprise thereby realize the
resource efficiency. The livestock serve the farmers in different ways.
1. Income: Livestock is a source of subsidiary income for many families in India
especially the resource poor who maintain few heads of animals. Cows and
buffaloes if in milk will provide regular income to the livestock farmers through
sale of milk. Animals like sheep and goat serve as sources of income during
emergencies to meet exigencies like marriages, treatment of sick persons,
children education, repair of houses etc. The animals also serve as moving
banks and assets which provide economic security to the owners.
2. Employment: A large number of people in India being less literate and unskilled
depend upon agriculture for their livelihoods. But agriculture being seasonal in
nature could provide employment for a maximum of 180 days in a year. The
landless and less land people depend upon livestock for utilizing their labour
during lean agricultural season.
3. Food: The livestock products such as milk, meat and eggs are an important
source of animal protein to the members of the livestock owners. The per capita
availability of milk is around 375 g / day; eggs is 74 / annum during 2017-18.
4. Social security: The animals offer social security to the owners in terms of their
status in the society. The families especially the landless which own animals are
better placed than those who do not. Gifting of animals during marriages is a very
common phenomenon in different parts of the country. Rearing of animals is a
part of the Indian culture. Animals are used for various socio religious functions.
Cows for house warming ceremonies; rams, bucks and chicken for sacrifice
during festive seasons; Bulls and Cows are worshipped during various religious
functions. Many owners develop attachment to their animals.
5. Draft : The bullocks are the back bone of Indian agriculture. The farmers
especially the marginal and small depend upon bullocks for ploughing, carting
and transport of both inputs and outputs.
6. Dung: In rural areas dung is used for several purposes which include fuel (dung
cakes), fertilizer (farm yard manure), and plastering material (poor man’s
cement).
Livestock population (2019 Livestock census)
Sl. Species Number Ranking in the
No (in millions) world population
01 Cattle 192.49 Second
02 Buffaloes 109.85 First
Total (including Mithun and Yak) 302.79 First
03 Sheep 74.26 Third
04 Goats 148.88 Second
05 Pigs 9.06 -
06 Others 0.91 -
Total livestock 535.78
Total poultry 851.81 Seventh
07 Duck -
Fifth
08 Chicken -
09 Camel 0.25 Tenth
Production of livestock in India 2017-18
Sl. Product Quantity Ranking in the world
No. production
01 MILK in million tonnes 176.30 FIRST
02 EGGS in millions Nos. 95,217 THIRD
03 MEAT million tonnes 7.70 NA
04 WOOL in million kgs. 41.50 NA
05 FISH in million metric tonnes 12.61 SECOND
Average Yield Rate for Milk from Breeds
The average yield of milk per day per animal in milk at National level from different
species during 2017-18 is given below.
Cross Non-
Exotic
bred Indigenous Non-Descript Indigenous Descript Goat
Cows
Cows Cows(kg/day) Cows(kg/day) Buffalo(kg/day) Buffalo (kg/day)
(kg/day)
(kg/day) (kg/day)
11.48 7.61 3.73 2.41 6.19 4.21 0.47
Source: Annual Report 2018-19, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and
Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India.
