Integrated Dairy Farm - experiences

Hi sri,

Yeh…it is 3 phase, started one month back, at present using 2 hours morning and evening 2 hours…yes…15 - 20% drops…will be adding some neem cake to maintain it…genset costed me with acoustic, switch start,including transportation,unloading,instatallation…3,45,000-00.

kasturiraju.

Dear Mr.Raju,

hearty congrats.
hope even other state members are welcomed to your farm visit

warm regards
rajesh

Thanks Rajesh,

Mr. ganapathi Bhat wrote to me for the following clarifications:(Dear Ganapathi Bhat, sorry iam answering through forum since it may help others too.)

Dear Kasturiraju,

Very informative. I too have started a dairy farm near Kasaragod, Kerala. Currently i have 8 cows. Need some inputs from you -

(1) Please let me know the Genset setup that you have - the capacity of the genset, the make and how the bio gas is clensed before used by genset _ we have ISUZU engine biogas genset of 15 KVA, it can provide you 11-12 amps ,purication undergo with system by passing into three vessels for moisture and h2s seperation and after cleasing it will be store in balloons.

(2) Silage production process , what are the inputs- absolutely no inputs,chop well and pack it with air,water tight.

(3) Please provide details on the feed given to the cows , including green grass, what are the feeds and the qty. Currently we are buying different items from the market, mixing them and feeding cows - 0.4kg per litre + 1.5 kg maint allowance.- what you are doing it is right. see that with economical locally available ingradients mix which reaches the 20% protien level.

(4) Cubicles for cows - please let me know how you got these done. in Kasaragod-Mangalore area, there is no one who can bend the GI pipes !.- Frankly, speaking if you can slightly comprmise the finishing Rs.2,200-00 each will cost. for perfect one i.e. machine bending one Rs.3,500-00 each plus transportation from bangalore,fixing it at your place tobe get it done from your end (the cost is only of barricade, verticle post ,horizontal bar pipe all excluded.

Thank you.
Ganapathi Bhat.

Thanks and regards,
kasturiraju.

We are manufacturer of Hydroponic…

Suneel

Mod edit: Please use ads section as mentioned below

Dear suneel,

I think you may advertise all these on advertisement/marketing section.

Share the photos and extensive details such as costing of fodder production, which are the seeds can be used,comparisions , experiences of the same will be more helpful on this forum, please.

Hope you will understand the suggestions.

thanks and regards,

kasturiraju.

Dear Mr.Raju,

hope your bio digester is working fine and it is indeed a privilege to have this info shared in farmnest…It’s working nicely Rajesh.

sir, wud like to know how this has been set up and how one can do . will there be any support from bank/financials in setting up this digester and what all major works can be taken up with this request to advise …offcourse it is little bit cumbersome/difficult activity since 3-4 agencies has to involve and no one will owe responsibility for any causes …you are advised to take any support from the experienced peoples for stagewise executions. Generally, banks never support for all these activities , until you have any existing loan for the farm activities and you are in good books of them for repayment etc., to enhance the loan for this activity. For the biogas power generation—you need bio-gas digester, generated bio-gas transmit to first raw gas baloon, transfer to purification unit, store it to purfied storing baloon, instal the suitable genset according to available biogas quantity and load required, connect it to your existing load with changeover switch… Finally, after successfull completion, you can claim with MNRE for subsidy, as per there standard… i think Rs. 25,000-00 per KVA subsidy will be release after due course of time. Hope we have clarified to your expectations.

warm regards
rajesh

Thank you rajesh (posted answer to your message in forum for others reference too, o.k.)

kasturiraju.

Dear sir, i am pleased to read your views regarding IDF, i agree with your thoughts and views similarly we need a enough disscussions .and sharing what you are trying to say, i am in this field from last two years and have experience in many practical problems, if you have any particular subject to disscuss always welcome. HAPPY DIARING HARISH PATIL

Thanks Patil,

How many animals do you have and where?

Major concerns in dairy farming is …

  1. FEED prices and regular quality supply inturn parity for input and output.

  2. POWER for any type of solutions finding to the dairy farm activity to-day----power is very essential. But, practically in rural india, it is dream for even there essentials. Then , how can we think it for our activity. Basically we are sick of this problem.

  3. Experienced verterian’s , when it need is a quite challenge.

  4. Nature’s play like famine,drought etc.,

  5. Policies and supports…More than dairy farming…processing is more lucarative,benefitted and white collared job. Hence, most of the people divided distinctly the dairying into two segements as a) dairy farming and b) Milk procure,processing and marketing. where dairy farming is struggling with lots of hurdles,problems, limitations and difficulties. But, Milk processing and marketing has grown up and attracted by lots …lots of people. Every one is in smart to take cream but not get dirt on the hand as well as struggles and difficult.

might have written more. please express your view’s and share experiences of your’s too.

thanks and regards,

kasturiraju.

Hi all,

We want to share one of addition to the integrated dairy farm…!!.

Each and every dairy farmer is undergoing lots …lots of hurdles to-day, because of drought as well as famine situations which is severely damaging agricultural patterns…(but, please don’t recall or compare our media’s report’s /creations…of just 75mm rain fall as flooding rains).

We have made up our mind to go for the Hydroponics. even after seeing the hot and cold … discussions , understandings…to taste the bits. Because, till we taste the jagarry…we can’t find what taste it is? Offcourse, the non-availability and survivality is also one of the reason to made up the mind to go for Hydroponics…to grow the green fodder in hydroponics.

In forum, we observed carefully all discussions and found that no one has turned back with confident, proven simple solutions. (free suggestions,discussions are very easy to read,discuss,analyse,appreciate…but,practical details only ultimate to understand the success or failure of such activities). we have procured a machine of Australian product, which is recently entered the indian market, since we are verymuch convinced with that technology and simplicity of the operational to produce the green fodder within 7 day’s.

we have purchased, 500kgs green fodder production capacity per day machine and started it 15 day’s back. Started feeding animals since last 8 day’s and will be sharing all experiences, impartially based on the interest of each and every one. Few of the photo’s of machine and produce posted for all of your visual references.

thanks ,

kasturiraju.






Dear Kasturiraju,

Thanks for sharing the information. As you said there has been a lot of discussion on the topic of hydroponic cultivation of fodder. Now that you have actually gone for it and have agreed to share the results, we shall be watching with great interest. It may be interesting to see the cost analysis of hydroponic fodder. Wish you all success in your venture.

Thanks again for the time and initiative taken to share your experiences with the members on this forum.

Cheers,

John

Hello

What grains are you using and price and source for grains?

Thanks
Nikhil

hi,

we used Ist week barley which is bought out from Jaipur at Rs. 16/kg. since last one week trying both white maize (which is costing Rs. 19/kg.) and yellow maize which is costing around Rs. 15 kg. Yellow maize is available almost all parts of Karnataka.
Yellow maize at present sourced nearby Hubli.

kasturiraju.

Sir,

So by spending Rs 16 per kg seed how much grass we can make ? how it will be economical ? does it better rent a paddy land or agri land exclusively for grass cultivation?

even with green fodder growing on land, cost per cow per day is aprx Rs 208, and min 10lt per day production per cow is require to maintain no loss. so how we can induce hydroponics in a commercial diary farm economically.

eager to know numbers…

thanks./r
mathew

Dear Mathew,

out of 1 kg seed we can get 8 to 8.5 kgs hydroponics gross. plus 80 paise to Rs. 1/kg ( total of all other expenditure i.e. like power,labour,water and incidentals etc.,. If, their is a continuous power supply problem then you have to count the cost of dg running cost for so much time). so with this you can compare the cost of rent of paddy land or agri land produce as well as expenditures,duration etc.,

If you are able to give breakup of Rs.208 perday cost per cow, we can try to compare the same. since, the cost of various items depends on location of the dairy. Based on transparent and actual cost we can findout the ways of using hydroponics for commercial dairy farm.

Again, as we repeatedly mentioned earlier, certain practices are need not tobe compulsorily suit for each and every one dairy farm or any animal farming. It all depends upon the situation,location,conditions,circumstances to introduce the same with comparisons of cost of local availabilities,facilities.

Hope, we can discuss specifically if you are able to share clear details.

thanks and regards,

kasturiraju.

Dear Sir,

Rs 208 was the average figure given by 5 commercial diary farmers in kerala in their economics,. A detailed study report as success full enterprises covered in Malayala Manorma Krishi magazine.

At present being Gujarat, I was always eager to know the commercial workability of hydrophones for diary farm as one of the leading manufacture is in Ahmedabad and I got an opportunity to interact with him. So I was calculating roughly rs 2-3 per kg would be the production cost of 1 kg grass through this system . and that is too much. considering 25-30kg grass per cow it seems too cost.

Instead of that even we hire a land 100km away where water available at 100km away we can generate and transport fodder less than Rs 1 per kg. Prouduction cost of 1 acere grass may be almost just 3-4k and cost would be cutting and its tranportation. if we have our own transportation arrangement like a truck we can carry 10mts grass with over all cost of Rs. 5000 per trip ie 50ps per kg.

As you rightly said each h model is suitable differently to others but at present consumption of maize and barely and considering the future of the same I feel, hydronupes may not fit commercial for diary farm. 53% of Indian maize production goes to poultry feed and rest in high demand for export as well as confectionery industry. so availability of inputs to hydrounpues may big challenge in future.

you are more experienced and learned and please excuse me any of by sharing are not line with. and pls direct me correctly

rgds
mathew

Hi

Arent there any barley growers in Karnataka? Transporting from Jaipur is pretty risky. We have a small system, which we have developed here itself, and we faced issues with growing maize grass and not able to procure barley. Thinking of going towards wheat, but even that is difficult to source.
Any issues that you might have faced in the system, and you havent mentioned the cost of the system, I am guessing it is expensive since it has come all the way from australia.
I think it would be nice if you can note your experiences in a separate post which discusses only hydroponics.

Good luck, I think I will need your help in grains procurement as well as knowledge sharing. I will be in touch via email.

Thanks
Nikhil

Dear Mathew,

Lets we discuss the seeds availability shortage later on.

can you give break up for the Rs.208 expenditure per cow per day, please.

thanks and regards,

kasturiraju.

thanks and regards,
kasturiraju.

Sir,

Recent calculations in a diary farm as well as report from Asst prof, KVK, Thavanoor as given below

9 ltd milk per day, lactation period 305days - 5kg per day and non lactaion period 60 days * 2kg per day -
cost per 1 cow

So 1645 Kg for 1 year period @ Rs 20/kg = Rs. 32900.00
Green fodder 30kg per cow per day @Rs 2/Kg = Rs 21900.00
Proteins/ and mineral s = Rs 1200.00
Labour Rs 1000 per month per cow x 12 months = Rs 12000.00
(10 cow 1 labour @10k/month)
Total exp : Rs 68000.00

per day Rs 68000/365 days : Rs 186 per day per cow min working expenses.

Cost towards Investment cost, depreciation, health, re production, other heard management is not taken in consideration.

for your review pls.

rgds
mathew

Dear Mathew,

Very good analysis.!!

But, this is how all the dairy farming enthusiastics analysis on paper,discuss, understand and more of them start the dairy farms and 95% of in that shutdown within 12 months, after facing lots of hurdles,difficulties,un-digestable truths and very hard experiences and not to digest the losses incurring. Because the analysis ,will be saying day-one no loss in dairy farming …money is their from front to back.

Lets we discuss about your analysis.

  1. The dry fodder is missing.

  2. The above costing arrival is 100% idealistic conditions.

  3. In reality the actual achievement of above will not be more than 55 - 65%.

  4. The other incidentals which you are mentioned below but not considered the impact of cost, in those areas only very high un-predictable,failures as well as un-controllable expenditures are occurring to dairy farmers especially commercial farmers. Few of the examples: 1) Drought situations. Irrespective of land and labour availability the cost will shoot up like anything… 2) Repeating problems in Re-production. 3) sudden labourer disapearence. 4) Health expenditures. 5) Maintenances of all sort of facilities. 6) environmental conditions. 7) power issues…etc.,

If u convert ur income i.e. 9 ltrs. milk into value i.e. @ Rs. 25/ ltr. Rs. 225 is the Revenue. Any slight slip in the Production ( which is quite common to happen in the animal farm activities). The losses will be sitting on your head. When the margins are very thin and un-controllable cost factors and situations are more in farm activities. Then wighted average profit/loss in commercial dairy farming itself will be like highly balanced walk on tied wire rope.

thanks and regards,

kasturiraju.