BENGALURU: The impact of drought in Karnataka is deeper and more worrisome than what is visible on the surface.
While the focus has largely been on drought’s adverse impact on agrarian communities, an expert assessment has revealed that it has a worse impact on farm animals and poultry -- considered a buffer for farmers in absorbing losses and stress.
This revelation has led experts from Bengaluru-based Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP) to intensify work on addressing nutrition aspects among farm animals and poultry across Karnataka.
The assessment by ICAR-NIANP scientists in 226 of 240 taluks has found that prevailing drought conditions induced water scarcity, heat stress, malnutrition and starvation, abnormal eating habits, and threatened disease outbreaks among farm animals and poultry.
During the assessment, researchers found that drought impacted milk quality, resulting in reduced solid fat content and vitamin levels. They noted a dip in soil nutrients, which in turn showed a reduction in fodder quality, affecting nutrition content for cattle. For poultry, nutrition levels in eggs showed a dip, particularly in protein content.
‘Lack of nutritious food impacts animal health’
The lack of food security among animals has also increased their stress levels, affecting their productivity, the scientists said. Poor quality of nutrients impacted the weight of sheep and goats, affecting meat quality – another economic burden for farmers.
While animals act as the initial buffer for farmers during droughts, the impact is now being felt, and ICAR-NIANP scientists are scrambling to address the issue. Dr Artabandhu Sahoo, Director, ICAR-NIANP, said, “Supplements are prepared based on area-specific demands.”
The scientists are working closely with farmers to understand their requirements, while creating and supplying strategic supplements for animals to help address multiple concerns, including nutrition, gut health, breeding, vitamin enrichment and greenhouse gas emission.
Sahoo said demand is rising in the poultry sector and gradually going up for the dairy industry, too. So far, at least 30 supplements have been created, of which 10 have been commercialised.