Breeding, Feeding and Distribution of Milch Animal Holdings in India:An Analysis Based on the Data from the National Dairy Sample Survey

This paper is prepared against the broader background of the policy debates on the breeding, feeding and distributional consequences of dairy development in India. The data for the study is drawn from the National Dairy Sample Survey covering 186 districts spread over 14 major States in the Country. Analysis presented in the paper shows that the diffusion and adoption of crossbreeding technology is an important factor contributing to the level, pattern, and sources of milk production. There is no evidence to show that the increase in milk production and widespread adoption of crossbreeding technology resulted in the intensification of the pressure on land resources for the production of livestock feed. The production of milk is carried out largely by the weaker sections of the rural society. Since agriculture is rapidly getting mechanized, draught power requirement would not work as a constraint on the diffusion and adoption of new breeds of milch animals. Drawing on the main findings, the paper offers a number of recommendations for the consolidation and acceleration of milk production and the sustainable income generation for the rural poor.