India : The dairy industry is an integral part of rural life in India and contributes to socio-economic equality and empowerment. The organization of the farmers and markets is through cooperatives. But in ensuring continued production in the face of limitations in land, water, labor, and capital resources, animal nutrition becomes an important concern.
The study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) entitled Cattle and Community in a Changing Climate: Sustainable Pathways for India’s Dairy Sector in January 2026 revealed the difficulties faced in the industry, which showed that silage production and ration balancing measures were adopted at only 5%. This study was conducted among 7,350 cattle-rearing households in 817 villages in 389 districts in 15 states.
The findings highlight the gap between livestock nutrition requirements and the adoption of improved feeding practices. Silage helps preserve green fodder for periods of scarcity, while ration balancing aims to meet animals’ nutritional requirements through an appropriate combination of feed. Greater awareness and access to these interventions could help farmers address feeding challenges, depending on local conditions and implementation.
The productivity of animals, however, relies on more than just the availability of feeds. The genetic makeup, balanced feeding program, regular health checkups and proper farm management have to go hand-in-hand to ensure that milk is produced efficiently. Raw material selection and the right formulation of feeds can be used to ensure that animals receive a balanced diet. Training of farmers on proper nutrition can enable the farmers to implement the right feeding programs for their livestock.
According to the CEEW study, nearly 50% of the rural cattle rearing families own only one or two cattle which contribute to 29% of the total milk production and 22% of the milk sales. The above results emphasize the need for creating a solution that can cater to the needs of small livestock farmers too.
The integration strategy should also be able to link up the production resources with the markets for outputs. Such an approach will help farmers handle risks while at the same time making production sustainable. Supply of good feeds and fodder, regular monitoring of the health of the animals, and having access to markets will aid in addressing the nutritional problem. It is also important to ensure that women participate since they take care of the animals.
Dr. Ramanuj Panda, Founder and Managing Director of Gocarin, commenting about the study findings, said: “A comprehensive strategy is required for developing dairying where targeted sourcing of raw materials, proper animal nutrition and regular health check-ups need to be combined with appropriate marketing. Equally critical is to increase awareness among farmers and develop systems that facilitate adoption of proper feeding systems by livestock producers. In addition, women’s involvement in livestock rearing and nutritional security needs to be recognized.”
The research results show that there is a need for the integration of animal nutrition with the training of farmers, dependable feeds and fodder chain and good linkages between the inputs used in production and the markets for the outputs. Through emphasis on resource use, India will be able to achieve an efficient and resilient dairy sector.
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