Impact of Irrigation on India’s Dairy Economy

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of irrigation on India’s mixed crop-based dairy production system. It uses a four-equation recursive regression model to outline the impact of water applied under different modes (groundwater irrigation, surface water irrigation, and rainfall) on the bovine herd efficiency and dairy output. The results of the model show that rain-fed areas account for 47% of the total value of milk output, whereas area under groundwater irrigation and surface water irrigation account for 38% and 15%, respectively. Of all the different irrigation modes, groundwater irrigated areas have the most efficient bovine herd for milk production. The addition of one hectare of groundwater in an irrigated area adds around Indian Rupees (INR) 20,000 (~US $448) to the gross value of milk output of a district, which is twice the addition of one hectare of surface water in an irrigated area and five times the addition of one hectare of rainfed area. Based on the results of the model, the paper suggests that expanding well irrigation in the groundwater-abundant eastern and central tribal belt of India can yield a positive impact on milk production.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems: Environmental Exposure and Human Health Risks

“…The presence of PFAS has been reported in the surface/subsurface water and groundwater of leading dairy producing countries such as India, the United States and China, including drinking water supplies [ 72 , 73 ]. According to research based on a recursive regression model of India’s ICLS, groundwater use accounts for 38% of the total value of milk output, whereas surface water use accounts for 15% of the same output [ 74 ]. However, water from the Ganges river of India has detectable concentrations of PFAS chemicals, mainly PFOA and PFOS [ 75 , 76 ].…”

Implementation perspectives of solar energy irrigation policy in water deficient regions: A case of Rajasthan state in India

“…The solar irrigation with almost zero operational cost requires 10 to 12 times the capital expenditure compared to electric or diesel pumps (Bassi, 2018). The capital intensity of solar pumps demands high utilization rates to ensure viability (Rajan and Verma, 2017). The solar pump owners would enhance the viability by using the free solar irrigation for irrigating water intensive crops, selling irrigation in the informal water markets, increasing cropping intensity.…”