Generating evidence to support enhanced traditional dairying in Northeast India
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Item An inclusive and participatory approach to changing policies and practices for improved milk safety in Assam, northeast India(Journal Article, 2018-06) Lindahl, Johanna F.; Deka, Ram Pratim; Melin, David; Berg, Anna; Lundén, Hanna; Lapar, Ma. Lucila; Asse, Rainer; Grace, DeliaAnimal products are highly nutritious, but also highly perishable. In India milk is an important source of animal protein, but problems with low quality of the milk, high degrees of adulterated milk on the market, high bacterial loads, and sometimes presence of zoonotic pathogens persist. Most dairy farmers in India are resource-poor small-holders, often with limited knowledge about the importance of food safety and hygiene. Milk quality problems including adulteration and bacterial contamination is common in the country. This paper describes a training intervention for improved food safety in Guwahati, Assam, India, conducted in 2009–2013. The training was designed to be short, simple and customized, cheap to deliver, easily accessible, and accompanied by incentives to bring change in knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP). In 2014 three outcomes were assessed: changed KAP; milk production; and, mastitis prevalence. Selected food safety hazards were also assessed, although their management had not been included in training. We found evidence of improved KAP among trained farmers, 14% higher milk production, and a tendency towards less mastitis, but no effects on food safety hazard levels. This study shows that a training intervention can have a medium-term impact, while the issue of food safety is more complex and cannot be assumed to automatically follow from even successful training.Item Milking and milk consumption habits and practices among smallholder producers in Bihar, India(Poster, 2016-06-15) Deka, Ram Pratim; Lindahl, Johanna F.; Grace, Delia; Magnusson, UlfItem What’s in the milk? Aflatoxin and antibiotic residues in cow’s milk in Assam, Northeast India(Thesis, 2015) Lunden, H.Worldwide, there are increasing concerns about food safety and what is really present in the food we are eating, and feeding our children. Antibiotic residues are one of these concerns and a growing global problem. In 2001 India became the world’s largest consumer of antibiotics and the problem with antibiotic resistance is increasing. Studies have shown a link between a high SCC (somatic cell count) in cow’s milk and high risk for antibiotic residues. In India reports have shown that the average number of clinical mastitis is between 3.94% and 23.25% of the total cow population. In additions to antibiotic residues, there is a risk of mycotoxins in milk products. In countries with a tropical climate such as India, problems due to chronic exposure of aflatoxins are emerging. The fungi that produce the toxin, Aspergillus spp., thrive in a hot and humid climate. The effects of chronic aflatoxin exposure include liver carcinoma, and potentially immune suppression and stunting, with children being the most susceptible. In 2009 the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) started a project together with local partners to enhance the local informal milk sector in Guwahati, Assam, northeast India. The project involved a training program for milk producers and milk vendors. The project finished in 2013. The objective of this study is to make a follow up on as well as an evaluation of the ILRI project. Trained and untrained farmers were interviewed from a questionnaire, in order to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices. In addition, milk samples were selected from 25% of the lactating cows on the farms. The milk samples were tested to examine the level of antibiotic residues and aflatoxin in the milk. Of the farmers who participated in this study 74 had received previous hygiene training by ILRI and 76 had not. Both trained and untrained farmers had in average 12 lactating cows. In both trained and untrained farms most of the feeding and caring of the cows was done by the farmer and his/her family members. The overall knowledge about zoonotic pathogens and toxic substances was low. Farmers who had received previous hygiene training by ILRI showed significant higher levels of knowledge (p-value <0.001) than farmers who had not. This was tested by summarizing the results on a number of questions regarding the farmers’ knowledge about zoonotic pathogens, toxins and general food safety. The trained farmers had a mean test score of 9.95 and the untrained 8.16. A rapid testing platform, Charm EZ, was used to test milk samples for residues of Neomycin and Streptomycin, Sulphonamides, beta-lactams, Quinolones, Chloramphenicol, Macrolides and Gentamicin, Tetracycline. 88.6% of the collected milk samples tested positive for Neomycin and Streptomycin, the second most common was Sulphonamides that was found in 22.8% of the samples. The results were not significantly different between the trained and untrained group. The same system was used to test for aflatoxins. 4.5% of the tested milk samples showed a positive result for aflatoxin. The level for a positive result was 500ng/kg which is the limit stated by the U.S. food and drug administration (FDA), Codex Allimentarius and the food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI). The trained farms had statistically significant more positive samples than the untrained ones (p-value 0.03), which may be explained by the slightly higher milk yield in the trained farms and the presumably higher use of concentrate in the cows’ feed. It is suggested that hygiene training as well as education is implemented to raise the overall knowledge about zoonotic pathogens, toxins and general food safety.Item Challenges in intensifying India smallholder dairy production: Health risks and productivity gaps(Presentation, 2015-09-23) Lindahl, Johanna F.; Deka, Ram Pratim; Randolph, Thomas F.; Grace, DeliaIndia has over 300 million buffaloes and cows, and is the country that produces the most milk. Even though the commercial sector is growing, a large part of the milk is still traded through informal value chains. Many households have only few milking animals, and production is hampered by poor health and lack of adequate feed and water. Multiple zoonotic diseases are circulating, and even though milk commonly is boiled, the trade with raw milk products and lacking hygienic measures pose a risk to human health. Informal value chains are unregulated and uncontrolled, and this increases the associated risks. In three projects, the International Livestock Research Institute is studying the white revolution of India. 1. Impact of an intervention on hygienic milk production on productivity, Assam. Farmers and milk traders had a low awareness about health hazards in milk, which improved after training, but the main impact noted by the farmers was healthier animals and better productivity. 2. Upstarting project on peri-urban dairy and risks of zoonotic disease and antibiotic misuse. 3. The dairy value chain in Bihar, one of the poorest states in India. Identifying the major limitations to efficient milk production, and the best bet interventions.Item The White Revolution in India: The end or a new beginning?(Poster, 2015-09) Deka, Ram Pratim; Lindahl, Johanna F.; Randolph, Thomas F.; Grace, DeliaThe milk revolution, popularly known as White Revolution, started in India in 1970 with a governmentsponsored programme - Operation Flood. This brought significant improvement to smallholder dairy systems by promoting cross-breeding, improving access to feed, veterinary services, markets, milk processing and preservation infrastructure. By 2013, India was the world’s largest milk producing country with total production of 132 megatonnes up from 17 in 1951. However, the cooperative system, the main vehicle for dairy development, was not successful everywhere especially, in regions where dairying had less potential to scale-up, leaving traditional milk production, with 80% of the market share, behind. Although cross-breeding became popular, average milk productivity per animal is still far below the global average and the traditional sector lacks awareness, capacity, incentives and resources. Simultaneously, urban and peri-urban dairying is developing rapidly, but accompanied by health and environmental experiments, Overall, we need systematic, location specific, holistic approaches to address the constraints. We present initial findings on promising approaches from research in Assam, Bihar and urban and peri-urban dairying. These suggest a ‘third way’ of dairy development driven by demand and value chain evolution that can complement the approaches implemented by co-operatives and more recently by large private sector investment.Item ILRI food safety and zoonoses: India and Bihar(Presentation, 2015-10-09) Lindahl, Johanna F.Item Impact of hygiene training on dairy cows in northeast India(Thesis, 2015-03-31) Melin, D.Mastitis in dairy cows is an emerging and challenging disease in the tropics, including India. Nation-wide reports suggest that the incidence of clinical mastitis varies from 3.94% to 23.25%, and for subclinical mastitis from 15.78% to 81.60%. In Assam, a northeastern province of India, dairy is an essential part of the mixed farming system that exists in the state, but the milk yield is far below domestic standards. In 2009-2010, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and local associates started to develop a training program for local farmers in Assam, in order to enhance the informal bovine dairy sector in and around Guwahati, India. The project continued until mid-2013. This study was conducted in order to investigate the prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis in dairy cows based on the California Mastitis Test (CMT) and clinical examination of the udder, in trained as well as untrained farms, to see if the hygiene training had led to lower disease burden. The objective also included getting an understanding of the pathogens involved, cow factors associated with higher CMT scores and comparing trained with untrained farms regarding milk production and hygiene routines. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 73 trained and 76 untrained farms. From these, 25 trained and 25 untrained farms were chosen for additional CMT and clinical examination of the udder, on 25% of the lactating cows on the farm. Noted parameters for each cow included stage of lactation, parity number and udder hygiene. In total 178 cows were screened. Cows with a CMT score of 3 or more were considered positive and subjected to a milk test for bacterial evaluation. The results were analyzed by descriptive statistics, χ2–test and t-test. At cow level, 6.2 % suffered from clinical mastitis, while 50.6 % suffered from subclinical mastitis in at least one of the quarters (n=178). At quarter level, 1.6 % suffered from clinical mastitis, while 26.6 % suffered from subclinical mastitis (n=700). The mean CMT score among all cows was 2.08 (1-5). A near significant association existed (p=0.08) in CMT score in trained/untrained farms, indicating a lower CMT score in trained farms. The results from the bacterial analysis show that on quarter level for subclinical mastitis (n=184), coagulase-negative staphylococci (n=56) were the most common, followed by Streptococcus agalactiae (n=42), negative growth (n=42), Staphylococcus aureus (n=14), mixed growth (n=13), Streptococcus dysgalactiae (n=10) and ‘streptococci, other’ (n=7). On quarter level for clinical mastitis (n=11), S. agalactiae (n=4) and negative growth (n=4) were most common, followed by S. aureus (n=2) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (n=1). All S. aureus bacteria were tested for penicillinase production; all were negative. A near significant association (p=0.06) existed between CMT score and lactation stage, indicating a higher CMT score in later lactation stages. A near significant association (p=0.06) also existed between CMT score and parity number, indicating a general tendency against higher CMT scores for higher parity numbers. No significant association between udder hygiene and CMT score was found in this study. The average milk production in trained and untrained farms was 7.8 and 6.8 liters respectively. A two sample unpaired t-test showed that the difference is significant (p<0.01). The results show that the prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis is in harmony with other studies conducted in India and nearby countries. The bacterial testing saw exclusively gram-positive cultures. The significant increase in milk production and the tendency towards lower CMT score in trained farms indicate that the hygiene training has led to positive results for the dairy farmers.Item Quality and safety improvements in informal milk markets and implications for food safety policy(Conference Paper, 2014-10-15) Lapar, Ma. Lucila; Deka, Ram Pratim; Lindahl, Johanna F.; Grace, DeliaMilk marketing in Assam, NE India remains predominantly in the informal sector; there is also growing concern among consumers about the purity and quality of milk marketed by informal milk vendors and the possible health risk posed by it. ILRI’s study on milk safety (ILRI 2008) indicates that most of the milk samples (including pasteurized and UHT) available in Assam do not meet quality standards from the standpoint of physical quality, adulterants and bacterial load (total bacterial count and coliform count). In 2009, a training and certification program was initiated to improve milk handling among milk traders who are the main conduits of milk being marketed in Assam. The impact of the program on milk value chain actors was assessed through a prospective matched cohort study using a double difference design. Data was collected from surveys of producers, milk vendors, and consumers. Rapid diagnostic tests on milk samples were conducted to assess levels of hazards from presence of pathogens in milk traded in informal milk markets. Estimates of economic benefits show positive effects in terms of increased average profit margins and value added. Sector level benefits as approximated from micro-level estimates of economic indicators show that traditional dairy value chain in Kamrup generates about 0.8 million rupees value added per day; this translates to an annual estimate of economic impact in Kamrup of at least US$ 5.6 million. Given the important economic contribution of traditional dairy value chain, public policy that affects informal milk markets and actors will need to be based on risk and not hazard, and improving capacity for risk assessment and incentives for better risk management will support the continued viability of the traditional dairy sector in Assam. Keywords: smallholder dairy, informal milk markets, food safety policyItem Quality and safety improvements in informal milk markets and implications for food safety policy(Presentation, 2014-10-15) Lapar, Ma. Lucila; Deka, Ram Pratim; Lindahl, Johanna F.; Grace, DeliaMilk marketing in Assam, NE India remains predominantly in the informal sector; there is also growing concern among consumers about the purity and quality of milk marketed by informal milk vendors and the possible health risk posed by it. ILRI’s study on milk safety (ILRI 2008) indicates that most of the milk samples (including pasteurized and UHT) available in Assam do not meet quality standards from the standpoint of physical quality, adulterants and bacterial load (total bacterial count and coliform count). In 2009, a training and certification program was initiated to improve milk handling among milk traders who are the main conduits of milk being marketed in Assam. The impact of the program on milk value chain actors was assessed through a prospective matched cohort study using a double difference design. Data was collected from surveys of producers, milk vendors, and consumers. Rapid diagnostic tests on milk samples were conducted to assess levels of hazards from presence of pathogens in milk traded in informal milk markets. Estimates of economic benefits show positive effects in terms of increased average profit margins and value added. Sector level benefits as approximated from micro-level estimates of economic indicators show that traditional dairy value chain in Kamrup generates about 0.8 million rupees value added per day; this translates to an annual estimate of economic impact in Kamrup of at least US$ 5.6 million. Given the important economic contribution of traditional dairy value chain, public policy that affects informal milk markets and actors will need to be based on risk and not hazard, and improving capacity for risk assessment and incentives for better risk management will support the continued viability of the traditional dairy sector in Assam.Item Improving food safety and quality in traditional dairy value chain in Assam: An assessment of economic impact(Presentation, 2014-02) Lapar, Ma. Lucila; Deka, Ram Pratim; Lindahl, Johanna F.; Grace, DeliaItem Health risk in informal milk value chain: Needs of a people-centric collective and integrated approach to address it(Presentation, 2015-02-11) Deka, Ram Pratim; Lindahl, Johanna F.; Grace, DeliaItem Evaluating risks in the informal milk value chain in Northeast India(Presentation, 2014-12-02) Lindahl, Johanna F.; Kakkar, M.; Mehta-Bhatt, Purvi; Deka, Ram Pratim; Grace, DeliaItem Training on hygienic milk production and handling in Guwahati, Assam, India(Report, 2013-12) International Livestock Research InstituteItem Does the milk make you sick? An intervention to increase knowledge among traditional dairy producers and sellers in India(Presentation, 2013-10-01) Lindahl, Johanna F.; Deka, Ram Pratim; Asse, Rainer; Lapar, Ma. Lucila; Grace, DeliaItem GET Dairy: Generating evidence to support enhanced traditional dairying in Northeast India(Brochure, 2012-10-09) International Livestock Research Institute