India’s Livestock Sector: Strategies to Combat Climate Change

India’s livestock sector stands at a critical intersection of rural livelihoods and climate action. With over 300 million cattle and buffalo, the country hosts the world’s largest livestock population. While these animals provide food security and economic support to millions of smallholder farmers, they also account for approximately 14% of global livestock emissions. The challenge is clear: how can India reduce methane emissions from livestock while maintaining productivity and supporting rural economies?

Understanding the methane challenge 🔗

Livestock in India release approximately 12.74 teragrams of methane annually, with over 90% coming from enteric fermentation during digestion. When ruminants digest plant material in their rumen, microorganisms break down cellulose and fiber, producing methane as a byproduct. This gas is then expelled through belching.

The issue is compounded by the type of feed available. Indian livestock are largely fed agricultural residues like wheat straw and crop stubble rather than high-quality concentrates or green fodder. This poor-quality diet means animals in India produce 50-100% more methane than their counterparts in industrialized countries who receive more digestible feed. Additionally, sick or poorly nourished animals are even less efficient, requiring more resources to produce the same amount of milk or meat while releasing more methane in the process.

Balanced feeding for emission reduction 🔗

One of the most effective strategies for reducing methane emissions is optimizing animal diets. Field studies by the National Dairy Development Board show that simply balancing rations can reduce methane per kilogram of milk by 10-13.5%. A balanced diet provides the right proportions of protein, energy, minerals, and vitamins from dry fodder, green fodder, and concentrates.

The science behind this is straightforward. When animals receive nutritionally adequate feed, they digest it more efficiently. This means less time spent fermenting food in the rumen and consequently less methane production. Moreover, feeding cattle a calibrated mix of green and dry fodder can boost milk production by 20% while reducing methane emissions by 14%. The economic benefits for farmers make this intervention particularly attractive, as healthier, well-fed animals produce more milk with fewer resources.

Upgrading feed quality 🔗

Improving the digestibility of available feed materials represents another practical approach. Green fodder shortens the time feed spends in the rumen, which directly reduces methane emissions. Studies suggest that making green fodder available year-round could lower methane emissions by as much as 15%. However, India faces a chronic shortage, with green fodder deficits ranging between 11% and 32% depending on the season.

To address feed quality issues, farmers can treat low-quality roughages with urea-molasses mixtures. These treatments enhance digestibility by breaking down tough plant fibers. Other supplementation strategies include providing urea-molasses-mineral blocks, oilseeds, or protein-rich greens like lucerne, which can reduce emissions by up to 16%. Even small dietary adjustments make a difference: increasing the fat content of an animal’s diet by just 1% can cut methane by up to 5.6%.

Plant-based feed supplements 🔗

Plant bioactives offer promising methane reduction potential. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research developed Harit Dhara, an anti-methanogenic feed supplement that reduces methane emissions by 17-20%. Made from tannin-rich plant sources, Harit Dhara works by decreasing protozoa populations in the rumen, which are responsible for hydrogen production used by methane-forming microbes.

Beyond emission reduction, Harit Dhara enhances productivity by redirecting saved biological energy toward milk production and body weight gain. At approximately six rupees per kilogram, this supplement is affordable for smallholder farmers. The technology has been commercialized and is being adopted across multiple states. Seaweed-based additives have also shown potential, reducing emissions by around 10% in trials, though wider farm adoption remains limited.

Health interventions matter 🔗

Animal health directly impacts both productivity and emissions intensity. Healthy livestock digest feed more efficiently, converting more dietary energy into milk or meat rather than methane. Conversely, diseases such as mastitis or parasitic infections can raise emissions intensity by 8% or more because sick animals require extra resources to produce the same output.

Better veterinary care, vaccinations, parasite control, and balanced nutrition create a dual benefit. Farmers get higher milk yields, faster growth rates, and improved reproductive performance, while the climate footprint per unit of food produced decreases. When animals die prematurely or need replacement, the environmental impact multiplies as fresh resources must be invested in raising new animals. Maintaining herd health therefore serves both economic and environmental goals.

Microbial approaches for rumen efficiency 🔗

Research into rumen microbes offers another avenue for emission reduction. The rumen hosts complex microbial communities that ferment plant material, and altering these populations can reduce methane production. Scientists are investigating specific microbes that could improve digestion efficiency while producing less methane. Some bacteria, like those producing propionate rather than methane, redirect hydrogen away from methane formation.

The challenge lies in maintaining stable beneficial microbial populations in the rumen while ensuring normal digestive function. Current research focuses on identifying and promoting microbes that enhance feed conversion efficiency without compromising animal health. This approach remains experimental but holds long-term promise for sustainable emission reduction.

Biogas systems for manure management 🔗

While enteric fermentation dominates livestock emissions, manure management contributes approximately 1.11 teragrams of methane annually in India. Converting livestock waste into biogas through anaerobic digestion offers a dual benefit: reducing methane emissions and generating renewable energy.

India has set up over 4.3 million family-type biogas plants since the 1980s under various government programs. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy estimates potential for approximately 12 million biogas plants based on available cattle dung. These compact systems are particularly suitable for small-scale dairy farmers who can collect manure from a few cows or buffalo.

Biogas plants convert waste into clean cooking fuel while producing nutrient-rich slurry that serves as organic fertilizer. One study in Haryana found that the state’s livestock could produce 5.46 billion cubic meters of biogas annually, generating significant clean energy. The government’s GOBAR-Dhan scheme promotes these technologies, providing financial incentives and technical support for biogas infrastructure.

Strategic population management 🔗

Managing livestock populations strategically helps balance environmental impact with productivity needs. India’s cattle population has actually declined from 204.6 million in 1992 to 192.5 million in 2019, while buffalo numbers increased by 30.5% due to their higher productivity. This shift reflects farmers’ preference for more efficient animals.

Culling unproductive animals eases pressure on feed resources and reduces total emissions. However, this must be approached carefully, considering cultural sensitivities and ensuring farmers have access to improved breeding programs. Using sexed semen technology helps farmers produce more female calves, which are productive dairy animals, while reducing the number of low-utility male calves. These breeding interventions improve overall herd efficiency while supporting emission reduction goals.

Policy reforms for sustainable livestock 🔗

Transforming India’s livestock sector requires comprehensive policy support. The government’s Rashtriya Gokul Mission has improved bovine productivity, with average milk production per animal increasing from 1,640 kg per year in 2014-15 to 2,072 kg by 2023-24. Such genetic improvement programs directly reduce emissions intensity by producing more milk from the same number of animals.

However, significant challenges remain. Extension services need strengthening to reach millions of smallholder farmers who lack access to information and resources. Supply chains for quality feed and supplements remain unreliable in many areas. Community pasture management requires revision to prevent overgrazing and degradation. Investment in rural infrastructure, veterinary services, and farmer training programs is essential.

Financial mechanisms like carbon credits could incentivize adoption of climate-smart practices. The National Dairy Development Board has signed agreements with dairy cooperatives across 15 states to implement sustainable manure management initiatives, including financing schemes linked to carbon credit monetization. Such innovative approaches can make emission reduction financially rewarding for farmers.

What do you think? Can India’s smallholder farmers adopt these climate-smart livestock strategies at scale with current policy support? What additional incentives or infrastructure would make these interventions more accessible to rural communities?

References

1. https://aaqr.org/articles/aaqr-23-08-bc-0204
2. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/methane-makeover-how-indias-dairy-sector-can-clean-up-its-climate-act
3. https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/anti-methanogenic-feed-supplement-harit-dhara
4. https://vitalsigns.edf.org/india-dairy-methane
5. https://icar.org.in/node/586
6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969725022119
7. https://biogas.mnre.gov.in/about-the-programmes
8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2589014X23001032