Dairy Farming in the Eastern Himalayan Foothills: Perspectives from the Lower Dibang Valley, India

Abstract

Dairying in the far-flung rural areas of Arunachal Pradesh in the Eastern Himalayas forms an important source of livelihood. The Himalayan foothill region of Lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, India is dotted with dairy farming units, locally known as Khutti (cowsheds). The semi-pastoral traditional practice of dairying among the Nepali community has its own economic, geographical and social ramifications. The khuttis or the goths (dairy units) move from one place to another depending on fodder availability and seasonality. This chapter seeks to identify the cost and production, price and profitability of dairying livelihood; the status of livelihood of the dairy farming households and its relationship with the changing climatic conditions in the study area. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in the study. Primary data was collected with the help of structured survey schedule. A handheld geographical positioning system (GPS) device was used to derive accurate longitudinal and latitudinal positions of the dairy farms and other features. Topographic maps and satellite imageries were used for the construction of maps. A simple cost-benefit analysis was carried out to assess the cost and profitability of the dairy units. Generally the households manage to stay marginally above the poverty level, with the standards of living being generally low. Buffaloes tended to provide better returns from dairying than cows. The markedly traditional mode of dairying has aided the gradual improvement of the livelihood of the dairying community although their tenuous existence could be undermined by climate change in the coming years.