Buffalo male calf integration system
Dr.T.P.Sethumadhavan
Of the animal meat exported from India Buffalo meat (Cara Beef) has the largest share in export namely 82%. It has special qualities as it blends well with the other meats in the meat processing industry for production of corn beef, sausages, hams, etc.
In India, every year, about 5.5 million male calves are removed from the buffalo production system due to intentional killing by the farmers to save dam’s milk due to non-remunerative cost of raising male animals, thus incurring a loss of about US$ 11 million per annum. These calves could be salvaged for meat production, which will not only improve the economic condition of the farmers but also would increase meat production for domestic consumption and export market.
Hind Agro industries Limited (HAL), New Delhi is the company in India, which has started intense feeding of male Buffalo calves for meat. The male calves at the age of 10-12 months purchased from farmers are quarantined for 15 days during which vaccination and deworming are provided. Thereafter, they are fed on high protein/high energy diet to put on a body weight of 100 Kg in 3 months to produce quality meat. They are never fed on antibiotics, hormones and growth promoters. They are raised in organic farming. Meat from such animals is tender, lean and juicy. The company has established a model backward integration with 110000 farmers who are raising more than 2200 villages under contractual farming system. The company is providing animal health, animal feeding and extension management services to farmers at their doorsteps. The marketing of the animals to the meat plant is organized by the company to pay them remunerative prices. This has reduced the mortality in the male calves as inputs for animal rearing are provided by the company in vaccination, deworming and feeds.
