Delivering impacts for India’s dairy farmers

In India many people are vegetarian, so milk provides a valuable source of animal protein

An ACIAR project on improving milk production in India, which included the adoption of a CSIRO-developed feed supplement, is estimated to have delivered benefits worth A$230 million.

Milk from cows and buffalos is an integral source of nutrition and household income for hundreds and millions of Indians. Improving dairy production is key to increasing the food supply for this country of an estimated 1.15 billion people.

An independent review of the benefits of the ACIAR-funded project, which ran from 2000-07 in collaboration with the CSIRO, the University of Sydney and India’s Dairy Development Board, found the total funding of $1.9 million returned $230 million, or $124 for every dollar spent.

Outcomes

During the research project farmers who fed their stock by-pass protein meal, produced by the Australian technology, found milk yields increased by 0.7 - 1.1 litres per day and milk fat content rose by 0.2 - 0.4%.

Nutritional uptake is enhanced by treating by-product protein-rich oilseeds with a process that protects the protein and allows it to be digested later in the gut.

Indian farmers and researchers worked to modify the technology to suit Indian conditions. Protein meals available in India were tested and a pilot plant developed to produce the by-pass protein for feeding trials.

Lasting benefits

Following the project’s success a further two feed plants were established to produce the by-product protein meal, three plants were commissioned in 2008-09, and 20 plants are in the pipeline.

A lasting benefit of the project is the impact of new skills and knowledge of livestock nutrition in India, along with a well-equipped laboratory of highly trained staff to continue support for research and development.