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Dairy Farming Business Plan Guide

Dairy Farming Business Plan Guide:

Dairy Farming Business Plan.

Dairy Farming Business Plan – Introduction to Dairy Farming:- No matter what the season is and no
matter what the place is “There is always a great demand for milk” in India. Due to the population increase
and consumption of milk tremendously increasing day by day. The rising unemployment and people who
are looking for starting a dairy farm in recent years are almost doubled. Milk production in India is
expected to grow at about 3 to 4% every year. There are many people who want to get into the small-scale
or large-scale dairy farming business. However, due to lack of knowledge and initial investment involved
they are unable to set up a dairy unit. We advise you not to get into this dairy business unless you
dedicate your effort and time on your farm round the clock. You are not necessarily starting a dairy farm
on a commercial scale; you can start on a small-scale business and expand it to a large scale once you are
aware of ins and outs of dairy farming.

Before starting a dairy farm, makes sure to follow these:

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Dairy Farming Business Plan #1- However as a beginner, you should definitely get some professional
training from Agriculture Universities or Training centers of the Animal Husbandry Department or
Krishi Vigyan Kendras or any private training dairy consultancies.

Dairy Farming Business Plan #2 – Visit local dairy farms and talk to the management so you can get an
idea of managing the farm. Always question them about “problems” and ask how they are overcoming
them.

Dairy Farming Business Plan #3 – Read any dairy magazines, online dairy blogs, and YouTube videos to
get an overall idea of farming.

Dairy Farming Business Plan #4 – If you don’t have capital investment and want to get a subsidy and
loan the dairy farm, visit your local agriculture/co-operative banks for more information.

Dairy Farming Business Plan #5 – As feed or fodder is the main component of dairy farming that
directly impacts the profits; you must have good knowledge of green fodder cultivation practices and
silage-making procedures. You can study the feed and fodder market in your region to find out the
feasible and economical fodder solution.

Dairy Farming Business Plan #6 – Initially, you must visit some cattle markets to observe animals on
sale and talk with persons engaged with purchasing animals to get an idea of the best breed, animal
prices, and milk yield of animals. You can also learn some negotiation skills.

Dairy Farming Business Plan #7 – You should learn good labour management skills.

To encourage the rural agriculture sector and increase the milk production as per demand, NABARD
(National Bank For Agriculture & Rural Development) helping farmers by providing subsidies on dairy
farms and dairy farming loans through approved banks. One can avail of this by visiting your nearest
commercial or co-operative or rural agriculture banks. One can get decent profits in dairy farming under
good dairy management practices. In the following write-up, let us talk about the “Dairy Farming Business
Plan” in detail. Let us take an example of 15 dairy cow farming.

For Frequently Asked Dairy Farm Questions: Read here.

Dairy Farming Business Plan – Requirements of Dairy Farming in India:- There are some components
of dairy farming you should be aware of before setting up a dairy farm.

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Land – You must have some cultivated land for growing green fodder crops for your cattle on the farm.
The land area depends on the number of animals (cows or buffalo’s). Usually, 2 acres of land is
sufficient to feed about 15 cows.

Shed – There must be a proper and covered secured shed in place before getting cows into your farm.

Water – Clean and abundant water facility is required for both cattle and to grow the green fodder.

Fodder – As cows need three types of fodder for best milk yield and high-fat content, you must have
good fodder management from growing fodder to feeding fodder on daily basis. Dry fodder, green
fodder, and feed concentrate (for extra nutrition) are required to feed the cows in your dairy.

Breed Selection – Selection of a good breed of cows that yield more milk is essential in dairy farming.
Good milk yielding cows such as “Jersy”, “Red Sindhi” “Holstein Friesian (HF cows)”, “Sahiwal”, “Gir”,
“Deoni” and “Ongole” etc.

Labour – Labour is a major task in dairy farming, the selected labour should be very good at handling
the farm activities including growing green fodder. It is better to give one or two days of training so that
they can understand the routine activities of dairy.

Vaccinations – To control diseases and protect cow health, you must have a proper vaccination
schedule. For this purpose, you can hire a veterinary doctor for routine checkups and medication of
cows. For the vaccination schedule, see the vaccination schedule table at the bottom of this article.

HF Cow.

Dairy Farming Business Plan – Shed Construction:- Well ventilated and the spacious shed is required
for dairy farming. Hygienic conditions are very important in the shed for cattle health. When it comes to
space, it is recommended to have 8 feet x 12 feet area for 1 cow. So total space required for 15 cows is
about 120 feet x 12 feet. However, this area is not fixed and depends on cow size. Cow feeders should be
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constructed in between with a separation wall so that the cows can be fed from both sides facing head to
head each other; this is what is called a “Head to Head arrangement”.

Care should be taken while constructing the dairy shed. The selected location should be elevated to
prevent any water stagnation around the shed and it also provides well ventilation (sunlight and air). The
dairy shed roof should be made with asbestos sheets and the floor should be made of either bricks or
cement with enough inclination. This can provide good drainage for cattle urine and excrete. The shed
should be cleaned daily to maintain hygienic conditions. Collect the manure on daily basis and store it
somewhere outside of the shed. You can also make an outlet to the shed so that whenever the shed is
cleaned the cow urine any leftover manure can flow into the field. All electrical fittings and water supply
requirements should be fully filled as per need in hot areas, it may need to have fans and coolers for
cows, especially in summer.

Dairy Farming Business Plan – Fodder Management:- Fodder management is very important in dairy
farming. The daily milk yield of a cow depends on the type of fodder and the nutritional facts of the given
fodder. High-yielding cows should be given 1 kg of concentrate along with mineral mixture to get 2.5 liters
of milk yield. For example, if a cow yields 15 liters of milk daily then these cows should be given 6 kg of
concentrate with a mineral mixture.

There are three types of fodder that can be provided under dairy fodder management practices.

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Dry fodder: wheat hay, kutti (rice / pady straw), chokar (wheat bran),

Green fodder: Any leguminous crops which are good in protein supplements. For example Any gram
crop, barseem, maize/corn, masoor, and hybrid grass-like CO-3 and CO-4, niper grass etc.. These green
fodder crops can be utilized to make silage. This silage is very nutritious and milk yield will be
increased. Silage making is very important and especially it is needed in dry periods. The link will be
given at the bottom of the article about “steps in involved in silage making or how to make silage for
cattle”. Generally, 2 to 3 acres of fertile land enough to grow green fodders for 15 cows. However, the
yield of green fodder depends on many factors.

Concentrate and Mineral Mixture: Mineral mixture:- It is necessary to provide concentrate feed
along with a mineral mixer on regular basis to prevent cows from mineral deficiency. All three types
such as dry green and mineral mixture should be accurate proportions for best milk yield.

Note: The cost of feed may depend on the animal milk capacity. On average, the feed may cost about 200
to 250 rupees/day/cow.

Dairy Farming Business Plan – Water Supply:- Clean water supply is required for drinking and cleaning
purposes of the shed. Arrangements can be done by providing overhead tanks on the shed.

For Green Fodder Production: Read here.

Dairy Farming Business Plan – Selection of Dairy Breeds:- Successful dairy farming requires a good
breed selection of cows. Select the dairy cow/cattle breed that is suitable for your climatic conditions and
high milking capacity. You can visit your local farms and can observe the different breed types that are
suitable. A crossbreed of HF cows (Holstein Frisian) with Indian Sahiwal. Or Jersey with Sahiwal or Jersey
with Red Sindhi is preferable for the good milk yield. It is preferred to select the breed which produces
milk of 20 to 25 liters/day. Artificial insemination plays a major role to cross with high-yielding breeds.

Jersey Cow.

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Dairy Farming Business Plan – Cow and Calves Management and Care:- Artificial insemination or
mating of cows should be carried out after every 3 months (90 days) of calving. Indian cattle breeds take 3
years in reaching the maturity phase whereas high yield  Jersey crossbreed or HF cows reach maturity at
16 to 18 months and they will be ready for mating. In general, for every 13 months, cows should be
calving. The lactation period of cows should be 300 days and the service period should be 90-120 days.
The gestation period of cows is going to be 266 days. More attention and care are needed in the case of
pregnant cows as they need more nutrition during this stage. Concentrate & mineral mixture should be
given during the gestation period of cows and this feed intake should be increased as time passes to
ensure proper growth of calves and their udder.

Dairy Farming Business Plan – Vaccination Program in Dairy Cow Farming:- Before giving any
vaccination in dairy, deworming should be done to get better results. However, deworming should be
carried out frequently and the veterinary doctor is your point of contact for this. The following table is the
typical vaccination schedule in dairy farming.

Dairy Farming Business Plan – Vaccination Schedule in Dairy Farming:

Vaccination
Disease Type: Animal Type: Vaccine Type: Dosage: Immunity:
Time:

           

Hemorrhagic Cattle & 6 months & 1

HS 5 ml S/C May to June
Septicemia (HS) Buffalo year

All cloven-
Foot & Mouth Polyvalent
footed 3 ml. S/C 1 year Feb and Dec
Diseases (FMD) FMD
animals

Black Quarter Cattle & 6 months & 1

BQ 5 ml S/C May to June
(BQ) Buffalo year

Theileria
Cattle &
 
Calves above
Theileriosis 3 ml. S/C 1 year –
2 months of
 
age

All species of
Anthrax Anthrax Spore 1 ml. S/C 1 year –
animals

Brucella
Female cattle
 
& buffalo Calf
Brucella 2 ml S/C 1 year –
age 4 – 8
 
months only

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Rabies All species of Rabies Post 1 ml S/C 1 year 0, 3, 7, 14, 28 &

animals Bite 3 months (90
days).

Dairy Farming Business Plan – Bottom Line:- The above write-up can be assumed for Dairy Farming
Business Plan in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab,
Haryana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and other states of India.
However, the labour cost, Cow breeds, feed cost, or green fodder production cost and inputs may slightly
vary from region to region. You can expect excellent profits with proper dairy management practices,
perfect planning, and dedication completely to the farm 24/7.

For Silage Making Process: Read here.

In case if you are interested in this: Quail Farming Business Plan.

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Table of Contents

1
Dairy Farming Business Plan Guide:
1.1
For Frequently Asked Dairy Farm Questions: Read here.
1.2
For Green Fodder Production: Read here.
1.3
For Silage Making Process: Read here.

Author: Jagdish Reddy

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