How fair is the milk industry?

In 1998, India became the largest milk producer in the world. Today, it accounts for 21% of global milk production.

As milk continues to maintain an excellent reputation as a “great source of calcium” and complementing one’s diet, it seems as if “milk” is too good to be true.

However, the milk industry globally has also been under scrutiny due to three major concerns: animal abuse, environmental damage, and human health. The scope of this article is restricted to discussing the ones without whom the dairy industry would have been nonexistent, that is, dairy animals.

India’s milk production has grown rapidly over the last decade, from 127.9 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) in 2011–2012 to 254.5 MMT in 2021–2022. The National Action Plan for Dairy Development aims to boost production to 300 MMT by 2023-2024.

Also Read | Milk output in Karnataka drops by 10 lakh litres a day

Any female mammal, like a cow, produces milk for the nourishment of its newborn.

Cows and buffaloes are also referred to as “milch animals,” as they are domesticated mammals bred and used for their milk production by and for human beings.
In India, buffaloes, followed by cows, are the most commonly raised dairy animals that are intensively used for their milk. India consists of about 57% of the world’s buffalo and 16% of the world’s cattle population. Uttar Pradesh produces the most milk in India, accounting for 18% of total production, followed by Rajasthan (11%), and Andhra Pradesh (9%).

There’s a popular belief among dairy consumers that dairy animals produce extra milk, and it is therefore justifiable for humans to acquire and consume it. It is a misconception.

In nature, they do not overproduce milk, but over the years, these farmed animals have been bred to produce extra milk.
Sirjana Nijjar, a lawyer and animal rights advocate, says, “Any mammal produces enough milk to nourish its offspring, and once that is done, the animal would not produce milk.

Genetic improvements in cows and buffaloes have made it possible for them to produce such large quantities of milk.” According to Dr Dinesh Mohite, a veterinarian, the extra milk from these lactating animals can be withdrawn by injecting hormones such as oxytocin.

There’s another popular myth according to which calves fall sick if they are left alone with their mothers because they end up consuming extra milk. Mohite explained that parasitic infestations from the mother and, in some cases, infections were the actual causes of calf sickness, rather than extra milk. He further explained that newborn calves require milk equal to 13% to 20% of their body weight twice a day, but “to avoid economical losses, farmers do not allow the
calves to consume the desired amount of milk.”

Apart from the regular separation of calves from their mothers, the dairy sector also includes the common and legally allowed practices of artificial insemination and disbudding.

To keep the milking process steady, female animals are impregnated every year using artificial insemination. It is a painful process involving the deposition of stored semen directly into the animal’s uterus to impregnate her. It is performed using hands
and tools, such as a tube for vaginal insertion.

During the financial year 2020–2021, 1,99,46,681 dairy animals were artificially inseminated in India. Disbudding is performed on new-born calves by burning their horn tissues with hot iron rods or other tools. This is done to stop the growth of horns and is usually performed on crossbred calves as they develop sharp horns.

“Although the procedure should be carried out under proper anaesthesia and pain killers, on the ground it is being carried out without any pain management and that too with inhumane handling that leads not only to physical but also psychological trauma to the calf,” Mohite said.

Disbudding is mainly done to prevent injuries to dairy farmers and other animals in the herd. “It is also believed that cattle without horns have more market value and are preferred by the farmers since they perceive that hornless cattle have high milk yields,” said Mohite.

The usage of “milch animals'' continues to reach new heights every year as we continue to perceive them as milk-producing machines. Having the capability to feel, these nonhuman individuals continue to suffer in this industry that exists and thrives on the exploitation of their bodies.

(The writer is a freelance journalist.)