Dip in milk production in TN due to rise in temperature

CHENNAI: Milk production has dipped in Tamil Nadu due to the surge in temperature across the State. Experts say the lack of green forage and the extreme heat are reasons for the decline in production.

Despite veterinarians’ directions to provide cattle with liquid food and shower them twice a day, farmers find it challenging to maintain healthy cattle because of the scarcity of grazing pastures and the declining water sources.

“Compared to December, there has been a reduction of more than one lakh litres per day. One of the major reasons for reduced milk production is that most of the cows are high-breed and cannot bear the heat. Their breeding capacity is higher, and the energy is wasted, so milk procurement is reduced,” said MG Rajendran, General Secretary of Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Association.

“Before the summer season, there was an average yield of five litres of milk per day. Currently, it is around four litres. The lack of greenery affects the milk production. The cattle are unable to withstand the heat during the season. To reduce the heat for them, the floors are made wet for the cows and cows are sprayed with water”, said DM Rajendran, a dairy farmer from Namakkal.

According to experts, the cattle must have an adaptable ecosystem during the summer. “The cattle must be provided with roofs made of coconut leaves that can withstand heat better than concrete ones. They also face dehydration while providing milk, so it is necessary to provide water for them in the shed. There are certain tree fodders like Gliricidia, Sesbania, Subabul which grow during the summer season that could be given to the livestock during summer when other plants go dry”, said D Baskaran, Professor and Head of Dairy Science, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS).

Even in Kerala, known for its green pastures, farmers complain about the lack of grass to feed the livestock. “The amount of milk has reduced during the summer. The lack of rains for months has made it difficult for the dairy farmers who mainly feed the cows with green grass,” said Kurian Abraham, a dairy farmer from Kerala.