EIACP PC Hub: Kerala
State of Environment and Related Issues

Livestock Development: Livestock sector in Kerala is livelihood intensive and also a major contributor to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), it could be as high as 40 percent of the agricultural GSDP in Kerala. Contribution of livestock sector to the GSDP, is not made visible because it is always clubbed with Agriculture and allied sectors. Livestock production has been traditionally practiced in the State mainly as an extensive, low input subsistence system integrated with crop production. The subtle changes emerging in the sector calls for reorientation in the approach for future development and growth.

Major Livestock Products in Kerala

                   Milk, meat and egg are the major livestock products in the State. The production of these three livestock products in 2014 -15 to 2021 - 22 is shown below:

Production of milk, egg and meat from 2014 -15 to 2021-22

Source: Kerala State Animal Husbandry Department, GoK 2022

Milk production

                 India continues to be the largest milk producer, with a 23 per cent share in total milk production in the world in 2020-21. At the national-level, milk production has increased from 19.84 crore tonnes in 2019-20 to 20.9 crore tonnes in 2020-21, registering a growth of 5.80 per cent, sustaining the trend over the past three decades. The highest five milk-producing states in India in 2020-21 were Uttar Pradesh (14.94 per cent), Rajasthan (14.63 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (8.57 per cent), Gujarat (7.51 per cent), and Andhra Pradesh (7.01 per cent), which together contributed 52.69 per cent of total milk production in the country (indiastat.com). Kerala ranks 15th among the milk-producing states in India. The per capita availability of milk has been increasing in India over the years and is estimated at 427 grams/day in 2020-21 (provisional figures, Economic Survey, 2021-22). The highest per capita availability is in Punjab (1,219 grams per day) followed by Rajasthan (1,075 grams per day). Kerala’s per capita availability is 197 grams per day (indiastat.com). The species-wise milk production in the country shows that nearly 33 per cent of total milk production is contributed by indigenous buffaloes, followed by cross-bred cattle (nearly 30 per cent). The indigenous cattle contribute 8.82 per cent of the total milk production in the country. Goat milk contributes 2.98 per cent of the total milk production.

                       The total milk requirement in Kerala in 2021-22 was 33.51 lakh metric tonnes. But the annual production was only 25.32 lakh metric tonnes, which resulted in an average outside purchase of 1.34 lakh litres of milk per day. Out of 25.32 lakh MT of milk produced in the State, a major share was produced by cross bred cattle (93.56 per cent). Indigenous cattle produced only 0.04 MT of milk (0.16 per cent). The contribution of non-descript cattle was 0.24 MT (0.95 per cent). The milk production from goats was 1.23 MT (4.86 per cent). Indigenous and non-descript buffaloes contributed the rest (Department of Animal Husbandry). Details of species-wise milk production in Kerala in 2021-22 is provided in below:

Species wise milk production in Kerala in 2021-22

                          Even though the herd sizes are low compared to major milk-producing states, cattle productivity in Kerala is higher than the national average. The average milk yield per animal in India in 2020-21 for exotic and crossbred cattle is 11.1kg per day and 6.98kg per day, respectively. For indigenous cattle and non-descript cattle, it is 3.08kg per day and 2.7kg per day, respectively (indiastat.com). The average yield from crossbred cattle in Kerala is 10.27kg per day, the third highest among the Indian states after Chandigarh (11.05kg per day) and Punjab (13.23kg per day). This advantage for Kerala was due to high per cent of exotic and crossbred animals in the population compared to other states.  

 

Egg Production

                Egg and meat production in India has taken a quantum leap in the last four decades, emerging from an unscientific farming practice to a commercial production system with state-of-the-art technological interventions. According to FAOSTAT production data for 2020, India ranks third globally in egg production (Economic Survey, 2021-22). Total egg production in India has increased from 11,438 crore in 2019-20 to 12,205 crore in 2020-21, registering a growth of 6.7 per cent. There has been a steady increase in the per capita availability of eggs since 2000-01. It has increased to 91 eggs per annum in 2020-21(Economic Survey 2021-22). In 2020-21 the largest producer of eggs was Andhra Pradesh, which produces 20.45 per cent of total egg production in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu (16.49 per cent) and Telangana (12.98 per cent). Other states contributing a major share of the country’s egg production include West Bengal (8.64 per cent) and Karnataka (6.20 per cent). Kerala contributes 1.81 per cent to the total egg production in the country. The highest per capita availability of egg is in Andhra Pradesh (475 eggs per annum) followed by Telangana (423 eggs per annum) and Tamil Nadu (265 eggs per annum).

                    Kerala ranks 14^th among the States of India in egg production. The production of egg in Kerala has been showing a declining trend in the 13^th Five-Year Plan period. The total egg production in the State was 235 crore eggs in the year 2017-18, it declined to 229 crore in 2018-19. In 2019-20, the total egg production was 218.12 crore eggs; in 2020-21, the total eggs produced in the State further declined to 217.68 crore (Department of Animal Husbandry). However, in the year 2021-22 the total egg production increased to 223.01 crore but the requirement was 536.14 crore eggs (Department of Animal Husbandry). The per capita availability of eggs in our State was 63 eggs per annum in 2020-21 which is lower than the country average of 90 eggs per annum.

                    According to the Animal Husbandry Department data, about 75.58 per cent of the total eggs produced in the State are from improved fowl and around 18.89 per cent are from desi fowl. The contribution of desi duck and improved duck to the total egg production of the State is 2.59 per cent and 2.92 per cent, respectively. The details of species-wise poultry production in Kerala is shown below:

Species wise poultry production in Kerala 2021-22

 Source: Animal Husbandry Department, Gok 2022

Meat Production

                    Meat production has witnessed a steady increase over the last ten years in our country. According to FAOSTAT (2020), India ranks 8^th in meat production in the world. Meat production in the country has increased from 8.60 million tonnes in 2019-20 to 8.80 million tonnes in 2020-21 (Economic survey, 2021-22). The largest producer of meat in the country in the year 2020-21 was Maharashtra producing 12.60 per cent of the total meat followed by Uttar Pradesh (11.79 per cent), West Bengal (11.29 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (10.84 per cent) and Telangana (10.45 per cent). These states together contribute 57 per cent of total meat production in the country in this period. Kerala’s contribution to the total meat production in the country is 5.24 per cent (www.indiastat.com). Species-wise meat contribution shows that more than 50 per cent of meat production in the country is contributed by poultry in the year 2020-21. Maharashtra, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh are the country’s largest poultry meat producers. In India’s total meat production, meat from buffaloes and goats accounts for roughly 18 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively.

                          In the 13^th Five-Year Plan, meat production in Kerala was 23.01 lakh MT. The floods of 2018 and 2019 and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected the sector. Total meat production in 2021-22 was 4.63 lakh MT. The total requirement of meat in the State in 2021-22 was 8.71 lakh MT. Domestic demand for meat has been growing at a faster rate. In this context, expanding the “Kerala Chicken” scheme is essential over the next five years. A scheme to encourage growing of male calves should also be thought of in this regard. Species-wise meat production in Kerala is shown below:

Species wise meat production in Kerala 2021-22

                      The real potential of the meat sector in Kerala has not been fully tapped. The requirement of meat, especially beef in Kerala is met from animals brought for slaughter from outside the State, mainly from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.  

Trend in Livestock Population:

                   The growth rate of cattle population in India was persistently positive up to the year 1992 might be due to the extensive cross-breeding and various development schemes and extension programs implemented by the Department of Animal Husbandry. However, the population shifted to a decreasing trend for the period 1992-97.The reasons for the decrease in cattle population in India might be due to rapid urbanization, decrease in grazing land, decrease in the supply of agricultural labour, the non-remunerative price for milk, decrease in the indigenous population, etc. The buffalo population in the country was found to be in constant positive growth rate. The sheep population in India has improved gradually at a positive rate for the first three periods (1951-56, 1956-61 and 1961-66), followed by a decline in the period 1966-72, again had a dip during the period 1982-87 and finally showed a positive trend till now. The gradual increase in growth of the sheep population might be associated with the steady increase in demand for mutton by the consumers and the lowest disease incidence among small ruminants compared to other livestock species.

               It was peculiar to note that the goat population continued to increase from the initial period. The reasons for the positive trend in goat population in India might be connected with an increase in demand for chevon by the consumers, easy management practices for goats over other livestock species, the high remunerative price for chevon over other products, etc. The pig population in India had a positive trend overall the duration except during the periods 1961-66 and 2004-07 but during the last inter-census period, the growth rate in the pig population was found to be negative. The reasons might be due to reluctance by the entrepreneurs to start a pig farm because of socio-cultural inhibition and inadequate financial availabilities.

Fisheries Sector:

                  Fishing and fisheries are an important part of Kerala’s social and economic heritage. This is a sector that arguments nutrition and helps generate employment and revenue. India is the third largest fish producing country in the world and accounts for 7.96 per cent of global production. The sector has been one of the major contributors of foreign exchange earnings, with India being one of the leading seafood exporting nations in the world. The export of marine products stood at 13.69 lakh MT with a value of ₹57,586.5 crore in 2021-22 (Marine Products Export Development Agency). India is also a major producer of fish through aquaculture and ranks second in the world after China.

                  The fisheries sector plays an important role in the economy of the State. The share of fisheries sector in the total Gross State Value Added (GSVA at constant price) in 2021-22 constitutes 0.97 per cent and accounts for 0.84 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). Fisheries and aquaculture contributes 10.92 per cent of the GSVA (constant prices 2021-22 (Q)) from the Agriculture and allied sectors. Details regarding the contribution of fisheries sector in GSVA are given below: