ANIMAL HUSBANDRY, DAIRYING AND FISHERIES
THE need for expanding the production of supplementary and subsidiary foods, especially proteins, has been increasingly realised in recent years. The demand for these articles has speedily increased and, with rise in incomes, is likely to increase even more rapidly in the future. The prospects of augmenting the supply of milk and milk products, table birds, eggs and meat depend ultimately on progress in the development of animal husbandry. In the development of fisheries significant results have already been achieved, but still a vast potential remains to be tapped.
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 2. Development of animal husbandry is envisaged as an integral part of a sound system of diversified agriculture. Emphasis will be laid on mixed farming, a system in which crop production and animal husbandry are dovetailed for efficient and economic utilisation of land, labour and capital. The integration of farming with animal husbandry is essential for the fuller utilisation of farm bye- products, maintenance of soil fertility, fuller employment for agriculturists throughout the year and increase in rural incomes.
3. According to the 1956 Livestock Census, there were 306 million farm animals. Of these, cattle numbered about 159 million and buffaloes about 45 million, constituting together a fourth of the world's bovine population. There were, in additon, 39 million sheep, 55 million goats, 8 million other animals and 95 million poultry. The productivity of India's livestock is generally low. Although high individual yields of milk are realised in some breeds of cattle and there is evidence of a slight increase, India's average yields continue to be extremely small. Thus, the average milk yield per lactation of cows is in the neighbourhood of 400 lb. and of buffaloes a little about 1100 lb. compared to about 5,000 lb. or more in advanced western countries. The total production of milk which was estimated at about 17 million tons in 1951 and at about 19 million tons in 1956, is at present reckoned at about 22 million tons. By the end of the Third Plan it is expected to go up to about 25 million tons. Statistics of milk consumption are far from satisfactory. The average per capita consumption of milk, including milk products, was estimated in 1951 to be 4.76 oz per day and is now placed at about 4.9 oz per day. There were wide variations between States, consumption in Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh being at relatively higher levels than in other parts of the country. At the end of the Third Plan, the per capita consumption is expected to rise to 5.1 oz per day. For a balanced diet, the minimum requirement is considered to be about 10 oz per day, so that the levels of consumption at present visualised are wholly inadequate.
REVIEW OF PROGRESS 4. During the First Plan among the animal husbandry programmes undertaken were the establishment of 146 key village blocks with artificial insemination centres and 25 gosadans. A pilot scheme for the eradication of rinderpest was also initiated. During the Second Plan 196 new key village blocks were taken up and 114 key village blocks established in the First Plan were expanded. Key village blocks set up in the First Plan comprised 4 separate units and those set up in the Second Plan included 6 units. In all, by the end of the Second Plan about 2,000 key village units were established. By 1960, 670 artificial insemination centres had been set up. During the Second Plan 34 more gosadans were established and 246 goshalas were selected for development. By the end of Second Plan about 4,000 veterinary hospitals and dispensaries had been established of which, 650 were set up during the First Plan and about 1900 during the Second Plan. In the Second Plan the gosadan scheme was modified so as to allow for the setting up of gosadans both by State Governments and by private institutions. With a view to reducing losses, it was proposed that charmalayas should be provided at gosadans with equipment and machinery for flaying and curing of hides and utilisation of carcasses. The total Plan outlay on animal husbandry in the First Plan was Rs. 8 crores and in the Second about Rs. 21 crores.
PROGRAMMES IN THE THIRD PLAN 5. Development of animal husbandry during the first two Plans suffered under several limitations. Some of these were of a continuing nature, such as the large proportion of uneconomic and surplus cattle, deficient nutrition and shortage of breeding bulls. A proportion of the key village blocks were located in "nondescript" areas, outside the established breeding tracts. There was also shortage of trained personnel in several States. In the Third Plan, which provides about Rs. 54 crores for animal husbandry, the key village programme is being reorganised so as to provide for about 10 units in each block and establishment of central artificial insemination centres. The programme for rinderpest is to be intensified and a large castration programme is proposed to be taken up.
6. Breeding.-As was stated in the Second Plan. there are 25 well- defined breeds of cattle and 6 well-defined breeds of buffaloes in India.
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These are distributed in different parts, of the country. Each breed of cattle has a limited number of high class specimens. A few of the breeds are of the dairy type, in which the females yield a large quantity of milk, while the bullocks are not of high quality. A large majority of the breeds, however, are of the draught type. in which the cows are poor milkers, but the bullocks are superior in quality. In between, there are a number of breeds which may be described as "dual purpose", in which the females yield more than an average quantity of milk, while the males are good working bullocks. These well-defined breeds are found in the dry parts of the country. Outside these areas, over large parts of the country, specially in the east and the south the cattle are "nondescript" and do not belong to any defined breed. The all-India breeding policy drawn up by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and accepted by the Central and State Governments envisages that in the case of well-defined milch breeds the milking capacity should be developed to the maximum by selective breeding and the male progeny should be used for the development of `non-descript' cattle. In the case of well-defined draught breeds, the aim is to put as much milk into them as possible without materially impairing their quality for work. The breeding policy is, thus, to evolve and develop "dual purpose" breeds, which will provide both good bullocks for efficient cultivation and increased quantities of milk for human consumption. Besides pursuing these objectives during the Third Plan, as an experimental measure, it is proposed to undertake cross-breeding with exotic breeds in regions of high altitude which have heavy rainfall. To meet the requirements of imported stock, it is proposed to set up a farm for manitaining a nucleus herd of Jersey animals.
7. The key village scheme, which has been the main programme for intensive cattle development during the first two Plans, has been recently re-examined by an expert committee. The committee has suggested that State Governments should review the operation of the key village blocks with a view to improving their working and closing down such of the blocks as have not produced satisfactory results. To overcome the shortage of high class bulls, it has been recommended that State Governments should formulate well-considered purchase programmes, and progeny testing programmes should be taken up at Government farms as well as at private farms where the necessary facilities exist or can be provided. To achieve satisfactory breeding control in the key village areas, it is proposed that the castration programme should be intensified and propaganda undertaken in favour of early castration of males. It is also proposed that the programme for the rearing of bull calves in the key village areas should be expaned. The committee has drawn attention to the fact that the feed and fodder development programme associated with the key village programme has not made satisfatory progress. To remove this defect, the committee has made a number of recommendations, including better use of the existing fodder resources, control of grazing where pastures have been developed, cultivation of fodder crops on marginal and sub-marginal lands, introduction of suitable leguminous crops in rotation with paddy, construction of silo pits and popularisation among farmers of cultivation of pasture grasses and feeding of balanced rations. The need to organise the marketing of livestock and livestock products through cooperative marketing societies of cattle-owners has been stressed. The committee has also made a number of proposals for improving existing arrangements concerning artificial insemination.
8. A scheme for the progeny testing of bulls required for key village areas and cattle farms was initiated during the Second Plan with the Hariana breed of cattle and the Murrah breed of buffalo. Eventually, it is proposed that such progeny testing scheme should be introduced for each of the important breeds. The scheme is being extended to the Ongole breed in Andhra Pradesh and the Kankrej breed in Gujarat.
9. Registration of cattle conforming to certain prescribed standards is an important means for securing cattle improvement. It is proposed that in the main breeding tracts cultivators should be encouraged to form breeding societies which will provide for registration of cattle and recording of milk yields and will serve as a source of supply of breeding bulls required for other areas. During the Third Plan, this scheme will concentrate on the Hariana, Gir and Ongole breeds of cattle and the Murrah breed of buffaloes.
10. The shortage of breeding bulls has been one of the principal handicaps in implementing animal husbandry programmes. To overcome this difficulty, the use of artificial insemination is being rapidly extended. There are at present 125 Government cattle breeding farms, but the total production of bulls is in the neighbourhood of about 5000, which is but a fraction of the numbers actually needed. The Third Plan provides for the setting up of 11 bull-rearing farms in the breeding tracts. It also provides for subsidising the rearing of about 30,000 bull calves. This scheme can be considerably expanded if adequate facilities are made available to village panchayats and to cattle-breeding cooperatives. It is also proposed to expand the herds at 33 existing Government cattle breeding farms and improve their management,, so that they can produce a larger number of superior bulls. A number of new livestock farms are also to be established. In the hill areas, livestock development has generally lagged behind. These areas, however offer scope for cross-breeding with exotic breeds. It is proposed to establish an exotic breeding farm for producing bulls for the development of hill cattle. A difficult problem in the major breeding areas is presented by continuing exports of high-yielding animals to
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large cities, where they are discarded after one or two lactation periods. Measures are being devised for preventing this national loss.
11. Feeding and nutrition.-Increase in numbers accompanied by inadequate feeding and deficiencies in nutrition are responsible to a large extent for deterioration in the quality of livestock. Development of grazing areas,, increased production of fodder, improved arrangements for preserving it and better utilisation of agricultural, by-products are, therefore, important aspects of animal husbandry development Among the measures proposed in the Third Plan are work on forage improvement at livestock farms, establishment of forage demonstration plots in villages, distribution of planning materials, conservation of surplus fodder through ensilaging, feeding of selected cattle on balanced rations, adoption of improved cultural practices and establishment of fodder demonstration-cum-training centres. In periods of scarcity fodder banks have considerable value. One such bank was established during the Second Plan. It is proposed to set up two more fodder banks during the Third Plan. It is also proposed to set up a Forage and Grassland Research Institute. Suitable areas will be selected for the development of mixed farming, preference being given to river valley areas and others in which successful livestock development has already taken place. In these areas, fodder and leguminous forage crops will be grown in rotation with food and cash crops, financial assistance will be given for the purchase of `dual purpose' cattle of high quality, and forage seed farms as well as demonstration centres will be set up.
12. Surplus Cattle.-The seriousness of the problem of surplus and uneconomic cattle is widely recognised, although estimates of the numbers of such cattle vary. As was pointed out in the Second Plan, large numbers lead to poor feeding and poor feeding comes in the way of attempts to raise productivity. Weeding of inferior stock is a necessary complement to a programme of cattle improvement and systematic breeding. The gosadan scheme, which was worked out by the Cattle Preservation and Development Committee in 1948, was introduced as a partial answer to this problem. The scheme envisages segregation of useless cattle so as to avoid their further multiplication and the resultant damage to crops. Over the past ten years 59 gosadans have been established, 25 during the First Plan and 34 during the Second Plan. In the Third Plan, it is proposed to set up 23 more gosadans. In its very nature, the programme for establishing gosadans presents certain difficulties the most important of these being the non- availability of suitable sites in the interior of forest areas where the necessary grazing facilities are available. The scheme has been modified from time to time with a view to making gosadans a more economic proposition. In this connection, the need for providing facilities for the fun utilisation of hides, bones, horns, etc. has been stressed and attempts have been made to reduce overhead costs.
An aspect of the problem of surplus cattle is the menace of wild and stray animals. During the Second Plan, a scheme for catching, taming and disposing of wild and stray cattle was initiated as part of the gosadan programme. The scheme is in operation in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
Having regard to the size of the problem of surplus cattle and its special features, with a view to elimination of scrub male stock, it is proposed to undertake a large-scale programme of castration during the Third Plan. The programme envisages that mass castration work will be initiated first in areas in which intensive livestock development programmes have been taken up and will be later extended to other areas.
13. Extension of veterinary facilities and disease control.-In the course of the Third Plan the number of veterinary hospitals and dispensaries is expected to increase to 8000 and every development block will have at least one such hospital or dispensary. There will also be increased production of vaccines and sera required for the control of contagious diseases. Under the programme for eradication of rinderpest carried out during the Second Plan, about 90 million heads of cattle have been protected, leaving a balance of about 41 million cattle. It is expected that by 1963-64, the entire bovine population of the country will have been vaccinated. It is proposed to undertake a "follow up" programme to set up immune belts along the border and to establish 10 more quarantine stations at important points of entry of animals, bringing the total number to 28.
14. Piggery Development.-Piggery products provide cheaper animal proteins and are important for improving the nutritional requirements. Bristles as by-products are valuable export commodities. In the Second Plan 13 piggery breeding units for the production of breeding boars for use in piggery development blocks were set up. With a view to utilising breeding materials from these units 28 piggery development blocks were also established. In addition, two regional pig-breeding stations-cum-bacon factories were established at Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and at Haringhata in West Bengal. The Third Plan provides for piggery development on a larger scale. It is proposed to establish two regional breeding-cum-bacon factories, 12 piggery units and 140 piggery development blocks. Intensive development in this industry can make a material contribution towards raising the economic levels of several groups among the weaker sections of the village community.
15. Equine Breeding.-Before partition, the requirements of the armed forces for horses, mules, etc. were met, for the most part from
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special breeding schemes sponsored by the Government in the canal colonies, and were also supplemented to some extent by imports from abroad. Despite progress in mechanisation, there is still a considerable demand for horses and mules for mountain artillery, animal transport companies and for pack transport etc. for use in the mountainous regions. These requirements, together with those of the Police, are being met from the `unbound' system still prevailing in some districts of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and partly through imports.
The policy of preserving the existing breeds and the objective of establishing a breed of Indian horses have resulted in evolving the `Indian Thoroughbred' which has good speed, stamina, patience, persistence and easy gait, and is now in considerable demand by the turf clubs, Except Kathiawari and Marwari breeds, no serious attempts have been made to improve other breeds such as Bhutia, Manipuri, Spiti and Shahabadi etc. No systematic efforts were made for improving and developing the breeds of horses during the First and Second Plans. During the Third Plan a horse-breeding farm will be established and will maintain 48 mares and 2 stallions and 20 donkeys and 5 donkey stallions. The farm will produce 12 horse stallions and 6 donkey stallions every year. This stock will be located at 10 selected stud centres for the improvement of local breeds. It has also been agreed to import a limited number of horses for the next four years, Other aspects of the programme for horse-breeding, such as the establishment of a national stud, co-operative breeding schemes and the proposal for more private studs are under examination.
16. Sheep and Wool Development.-Of the 72 million lb. of wool produced in the country, about one-half is exported as carpet wool, while 15 to 17 million lb. of semi-processed wool is imported. In 1959-60 the export of wool and of sheep and sheep products contributed Rs. 26.6 crores in foreign exchange, while the cost of imported wool amounted to Rs. 8.8 crores. The export value of sheep and sheep products is estimated to increase to about Rs. 35 crores by the end of the Third Plan. During the Second Plan 4 sheep breeding farms for the production of superior rams were started. Rams were distributed to 305 sheep and wool extension centres in the established breeding tracts for the improvement of local stock. In addition to providing breeding facilities these centres also demonstrate improved methods of shearing, grading and marketing. In the Third Plan 15 sheep breeding farms will be established and 17 farms expanded. In all 2000 to 2500 quality rams will be supplied from these farms to flock owners in the rural areas. As a result of various measures, the production of wool by the end of the Third Plan is expected to go up to about 90 million lb. In view of the greater demand by indigenous industry for quality wools, a large programme for correct shearing as well as systematic grading is to be taken up in Rajasthan. The plans of some States provide for loans for the introduction of sheep with a view to the development of mixed farming.