Jayesh Patel from Gujarat owner of brand "Jayesh Patel Dairy Farm" based in Zarola village, Borsad Taluka, Anand District recently released his video on FTB. He was a surveyor by profession and has travelled extensively through the entire country.
He worked for almost 16 years as a surveyor and returned to his village to start farming. He started with traditional farming for about 4 years and faced great difficulties in terms of irrigation and labour issues. He thought of alternatives and chose dairy farming. He has been a dairy farmer for last 16 years. He said initial 7 years went smoothly and without any hassle. Our main product is cow milk. If a cow produced low quantity of milk, Jayesh sold it and used this money to buy a new one. But most of the cows he got were of low quality.
He said travelling around with his tempo vehicle, seeking out agents to purchase new cows was irksome. Sometimes he thought the cows he sold were better than the newly purchased. So he decided upon starting cow breeding in his farm, so as to produce cows of highest quality. He has been researching continuously about cow breeding for last 9 years. The heifers born on his farm grow up to be cows and these are fed on our water, our feed and we have known them since their birth. Hence we are able to collect the milk from the cows easily and with confidence.
If you have paid good money for your cow you expect her to produce according to her worth. He talked of issues with buying cows from distant regions. He said for example if I get a cow from Punjab to Gujarat there are these issues - cow is used to different type of climate, cow is used to water with different TDS (Total dissolved solids). Due to which the cow does not each much, loses weight and produces less milk. Less weight means, less blood circulation, heat stress at peak, no set time, increase in dry period, cow gets pregnant late and produces low quantity of milk. And we get stuck in the cycle of selling old and lesser productive cows and buying new ones. So, you must choose your cows carefully - where is the cow from and if she has adapted well to the local weather if she is not local.
He said it is better to breed the cows yourself, select the bull well, raise the calf properly and you will get good output. You can have one bull for many cows and its best to raise a heifer bull for better results. These young cattle will adjust easily with each other and give good quantity of milk.
I have been in this business for years and had a lot of time for analysis and assessment. AI (artificial insemination) has to be done properly for cows to get pregnant. He said you learn with experience and spending time with your cattle. For successful AI don't blame the AI person, make sure the water is at right temperature, check the temperature when the AI person comes, give good water, leave straw in water for few minutes, the bull sperm should be of good quality, you must feed your cow well balanced diet. If you have maintained your cow well, there are better chances of the cow getting pregnant with AI.
He has a good diet plan for his cattle. We give good greens with high protein content. Cattle feed (grains) should be enough to give the cattle energy and with sufficient oils. You have to know your cattle well and you should give individual attention. You can buy a cow at RS 50,000 to Rs 60,000 and she will pay you with monthly interest. It is a profitable business. But if you think that having more cows will give you more money, you could be wrong, because then there will be greater labour charges, most of the labourers we get are not well trained with low knowledge level. Hence having made such investments you will have to look after your business yourself.
He said you should plan the shelter for your cattle the way you plan your own accommodation. There should be a nice garden for cow to move around and raise her calf. As the calf grows, there must be enough place for them and good feeding places.
He said dairy farm business is like any other business. You need to be a good manager to run your business efficiently and profitably. You should always choose one business that you like and commit to it. He said when he was farming they had 3-4 animals with them. When he had issues with farming and he decided to take up dairy farming he started with 10 animals and he has worked with no more than 10 animals ever since.
He has brought, raised and worked with cows from all over India, and his final analysis is that the cows born locally always give best results. You should earn the confidence of your cattle, so the cow lets you collect milk from her 2-3 times a day. He said you must compete and learn.
Jayesh also makes and sells cow dung pots, which are extremely environment friendly, a cheap alternative to plastic and he has received awards for his work with cows. He uses everything and wastes nothing.
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