Cow Dairy is Good.. Hard Work

Summary

• Farmer Bandari Gangareddy at Pempabattla village, Sarangapur mandal, Jagtial district — 13 years HF dairy, started with 2 HF cows at Rs 52,000 each (2011); now 30 milkers, 20 calves, 15 small calves, 2 bulls plus 1 Gir + 1 Jersey cows.
• Started with a batch of 20 farmers in his village; only 3 still in dairy 13 years later (17 quit) — herd grew almost entirely by retaining home-born calves (one founding cow has produced 10 heifers).
• Production: 150 L/day (70-80 L morning + evening) sold to Karimnagar Dairy bulk-pickup truck at Rs 41-43.50/L (varies by fat) — payment to bank account every 15 days; monthly revenue ~Rs 1.5-1.8 lakh.
• Concentrate ration Rs 40,000/month for 40 animals = green-gram chunni (peg waste) + maize bran (gadaka, coarse grind) + cotton-seed cake + cooked broken rice (1/4 kg/cow); fed 2x daily with salt water in trough, refilled with clean water.
• Forage: 3 acres super napier + 1 acre maize fodder; in maize season buys standing fodder corn from local farmers at Rs 800-1,000/gunta (Rs 30-40K/acre) at the milky-stage, skipping concentrate during that period.