Hotter days, leaner yields: Sirsa’s dairy output dips to new low

A relentless heatwave sweeping across Sirsa district has taken a toll on dairy farming, with milk production plunging sharply this June. Data from the Vita Milk Plant shows that milk collection has dropped to just 13.88 lakh kilograms till June 20, marking a nearly 60% decline since March, when production peaked at over 33.8 lakh kg.

Advertisement

Vita Milk Plant – milk collection (last 4 months)

Month Cow milk (kg)     Buffalo milk (kg) Total (kg)   Avg/day (kg)

March 20,55,545    13,27,912   33,83,462   1,09,143

April 19,47,860    9,86,365    29,34,286   97,807

May   16,89,422    6,79,619    23,69,106   76,423

June (till 20th) 10,58,725   3,29,404    13,88,130   69,406

The drop reflects not just the rising mercury — Sirsa recorded 47.6°C on June 14, the highest in Haryana and Punjab — but also the prolonged absence of rainfall, frequent power cuts and acute water and green fodder shortage that have made livestock management an uphill battle for farmers.

Heatwave disrupts dairy rhythm

“The scorching heat has disturbed the animals’ feeding and resting cycles. They are simply not able to cope,” said Bhagiram, manager of the Vita Milk Plant. “Every summer, milk production drops, but this year is among the worst we’ve seen.”

March saw cow milk touch 20.5 lakh kg and buffalo milk 13.3 lakh kg, but those figures have more than halved by June. In May, the plant recorded 23.7 lakh kg and in April, 29.3 lakh kg. For June, the daily average collection has fallen to just 69,406 kg — down from over 1.09 lakh kg per day in March.

Struggling to shield their cattle

Farmers across the region are grappling with soaring expenses to protect their herds. “We’ve set up fans, shade nets, and are buying extra fodder, but still milk output is down by half,” said Ravinder Kumar, a dairy farmer from a nearby village.

Mewa Ram and Sohan Lal echoed similar struggles, noting that even the fat content in milk has dropped, affecting quality and income.

In many homes, the crisis is so acute that dairy families are now buying milk for personal use. Rekha, Daya, Roshni Devi and Babita, all women dairy farmers, said, “Our animals are getting only dry chaff and broken grains. Without green fodder and water, there’s barely any milk left for our households.”

Local breeds showing resilience

Dr Sukhwinder Singh, Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry, advised farmers to take extra precautions. “Local breeds like Sahiwal are better adapted to the heat. But crossbreeds and exotic varieties are highly vulnerable,” he said.

“Farmers should bathe animals 3-4 times daily, ensure constant water supply, shade and use fans or coolers wherever possible,” he added. Sirsa district is home to approximately 5 lakh milch animals.

Private buying rising

While production falls, the demand for chilled dairy products such as kulfi, ice cream, and milk-based drinks has soared. “Traders are offering higher prices and buying milk directly from farmers. This also contributes to the drop in supply to the plant,” said Bhagiram.