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In India’s agriculture and food industry, milk has one of the most significant values; it is more than the combined values of rice and wheat. The dairy industry’s buffalo breed contributes significantly to creating job opportunities, providing a primary food source, improving the national economy, maintaining a stable income for rural households, and fighting against poverty. Due to the dairy industry’s significant contribution to India’s GDP, its economic effects are substantial.
The management component is crucial in enhancing milk production’s quantity and quality. Also, We have discussed several good farm practices in this article to help you become a prosperous dairy farmer with the best Haryana buffalo breed.
The production of safe, high-quality milk from healthy animals on a farm under generally acceptable conditions is the goal of good dairy farming practices. Dairy farmers must use Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in the following areas to do this:
Animal Health
Because it leads to high morbidity and low production, the poor health of buffalo breeds in India is one of the main obstacles to raising small-scale dairy productivity. By removing this obstacle, productivity may increase dramatically, directly benefiting producers.
Establishing the herd with disease resistance, preventing disease entry onto the farm, setting effective herd health management. And using all chemicals and veterinary medicines as directed are good dairy farming practices for animal health.
Milking Hygiene
Most small-scale dairy farmers in developing nations milk their Haryana buffalo by hand, frequently with the calf present, to encourage milk release. Where there is enough labor, hand milking enables milk extraction with little financial outlay, equipment upkeep, and cleaning. These milking traditions are disappearing as a result of modernization. Using improved dairy breeds on medium to large dairy farms is more typical and practical for milk animals using milking machines. It is essential to prevent milk contamination during and after milking, regardless of the manner of milking (manual or device).
The three pillars of good dairy farming practices for milking hygiene are that milking is done in hygienic conditions, that milking routines don’t harm the animals or introduce contaminants into the milk, and that milk is handled correctly after milking.
Feed & Water Management
The quality and safety of a dairy animal’s milk. As well as its health and productivity, heavily depend on the feed and water give to it. Physiological state, milk production level, age, sex, body condition, body weight, weight gain, health condition, degree of activity and exercise, climate, and season are a few variables affecting dairy animals’ dietary needs. Many developing nations face a significant issue regarding feeding the best buffalo breed in India. Due to seasonal variations in feed availability brought on by dry spells and the low quality of feed. This difficulty is exacerbated in tropical regions.
The cost of feeding dairy animals might rise if farmers cannot rely on locally accessible feed resources. So, Small-scale dairy farmers in developing nations feed their animals using grazing, which requires relatively vast areas; tethering, which makes full use of places like cropland and roadside verges; and stall or pen feeding, which requires more labor. Dairy animals consume large amounts of water during pregnancy and milk production; therefore, having access to water significantly affects milk production.
Securing feed and water supplies from sustainable sources, maintaining a collection of feed and water of sufficient amount and quality, controlling the feed storage conditions, and ensuring the traceability of feedstuffs carried into the farm are all examples of good dairy farming practices for nutrition.
Animal Welfare
Animal welfare refers to using reasonable and considerate animal husbandry techniques regarding dairy animals or Haryana buffalo on a farm. These procedures must be followed for milk-producing animals in raising units and for young stock, replacements, and males.
The well-being of the animals is the main focus of animal welfare. Animals should not experience hunger, thirst, starvation, discomfort, pain, injury, sickness, or fear or be kept away from engaging in essentially normal animal behavior.
Environment:
The dairy industry is concerned about the effects of land degradation (such as overgrazing), climate change, air pollution, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss. Dairy production is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, particularly nitrous oxide (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) (N2O). Also, Countries worldwide are concerned about ammonia (NH3) emissions from animal housing facilities and improper waste management.
Implementing an environmentally friendly farming system, having a suitable waste management system, and ensuring that dairy farming practices do not negatively affect the local environment are all examples of good dairy farming practices.
Socioeconomic Management
Social responsibility and economic sustainability are essential components of effective dairy farming practices. As they handle two significant hazards to the farming enterprise. Managing the organization’s finances and human resources guarantees its long-term viability.
Implementing efficient and responsible human resource management. Ensuring that farm chores are completed safely and effectively. And managing the business to maintain its financial viability are all examples of good dairy farming practices for the socioeconomic management of dairy farms.
Conclusion
Good farm practices are essential for your dairy business. You can get guidance from experts of MeraPashu360 with just a few clicks. MeraPashu360 is a tech-driven platform that allows dairy farmers to get everything for their business in one place. You can check their website to know more.
