A new yellow revolution has finally taken off, as farmers expand the area under the mustard crop by 24% to a record 90.45 lakh hectares. The “right” price for mustard last year has worked the wonders that several initiatives in the past could not do. Even if the average yield is 1.5 tonnes per hectare, production will be 135 lt from the latest sowing areas. However, the next 10-15 days are crucial for the crop amid the prediction of rainfall by the weather bureau. Many farmers in Haryana and other wheat-growing states have shifted to mustard this year. Soybean farmers were holding back the crop in expectation of better prices, as they had seen high prices in the last season. The US Department of Agriculture has revised upwards India’s oilseed production to 40.88 million tonnes for the current season, against 38.32 mt in the previous year. The good news for dairy farmers is that more deoiled mustard cake will be available to feed our cows and buffaloes.
Instead of focussing on the old mandate of just providing food and fodder, a shift towards employment and better income is important as agriculture has new and emphatic demands now. A new technological revolution comprising of AI, IoT, WOT, Geo-spatial technology, is empowering the agricultural sector like never before. Deployment of emerging technologies is important to predict risks at production and post-production stages, apart from connecting farm-gate with markets. Secondary agriculture that includes food and non-food processing should be promoted for generating jobs and supplementary incomes. Karnataka became the first state to set up a separate directorate of secondary agriculture.
The latest research report by Wazir Advisors stated that India is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the emerging opportunities in dairy products in the international markets. Large international markets such as the US, Canada, and New Zealand are witnessing a stagnation in dairy production, while the consumption is likely to grow – thus, there is an increased export opportunity. Further, Japan, Russia, Mexico, West Asia, and North Africa will continue to be important net importers. Quoting the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook for 2021-30, it says India along with Pakistan will contribute over 30 percent to global production in 2030. This augurs well for all participants in the value chain, especially since major growth will come from value-added products. The global per capita consumption of fresh dairy products is projected to increase by 1 percent per annum over the next decade. Rabobank 2021 report has estimated a 15 percent annual growth rate for value-added products, which include segments such as cheese, fermented milk, butter, cream, condensed milk, and whey. Ice creams command the largest share in value terms in the value-added segment, followed by yogurt, baby food, and cheese. The rate of increase in India’s share in international trade will depend upon how quickly India is able to address challenges related to productivity and efficiency. In the post-pandemic market, the consumption pattern for dairy products in India has changed for higher household and retail segment consumption. Packaged dairy products are more in demand now, the sale through e-commerce and digital apps is growing, also household sales have increased at the cost of institutional sales.
As many as 15,000 high milk-yielding Gir cows – native to Saurashtra in the West – will go all the way to Assam in the East to boost incomes for the local dairy farmers. This comes as a fallout of a joint project being undertaken by the National Dairy Development Board and the Assam Government. The plan also envisages setting up infrastructure for Cattle Feed and Silage manufacturing within Assam. Assam can become the growth hub for fodder cultivation, which can eventually meet the fodder requirement of fodder deficit states.
Anmol Feeds Pvt. Ltd has roped in actor Pankaj Tripathi as a brand ambassador for its cattle feed brands. The aim is to create a high recall for its cattle feed brand.
The Indian animal feed market, which touched close to Rs. 942 billion in 2020, is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 12 percent during 2021-2026. Cattle feed involves 20 percent of the overall market share and is an evolving category in the Indian rural market. Yet, there is a huge need gap when it comes to awareness amongst the farmers about the right compound feed for optimum benefits from the cattle.