UPSC Mains 2015 GS Paper 3 Q2: model answer

A buffalo in a landless household's yard is a savings account that gives interest twice a day. Livestock now contributes about 30% of agricultural gross value added and grows faster than crops, and India is the world's largest milk producer.

Potential for employment and income

• Inclusive: small, marginal and landless families own most of the livestock; women do most of the work.
• Steady cash flow from milk, eggs and meat, unlike a crop paid once a season.
• Insurance: animals are sold in drought years to smooth income.
• Allied jobs: dairy processing, feed, veterinary care, leather and transport.

Constraints

• Low productivity per animal; indigenous breeds poorly improved.
• Feed and fodder shortfalls and shrinking common grazing land.
• Disease: foot-and-mouth and lumpy skin disease cost heavily.
• Markets: much of the milk is sold informally at low prices.
• Stray cattle: unproductive animals add costs and damage crops, as farmers in Uttar Pradesh know well.

Measures to promote the sector

• Rashtriya Gokul Mission for indigenous breeds and sex-sorted semen.
• National Animal Disease Control Programme: mass vaccination against FMD and brucellosis.
• Fodder banks and use of wasteland for pasture.
• Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund for processing and chilling.
• KCC for livestock farmers and cattle insurance.
• Cooperatives on the Amul model, and veterinary services at the doorstep.

Operation Flood showed that a cooperative and a chilling centre can do more for rural income than a factory.