Anionic mineral mixture prevents milk fever and improves farmer income: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial Cariappa A G Adeeth1,2,*, Chandel B S2, Sankhala Gopal2, Mani Veena2, Sendhil R.3, Dixit Anil Kumar2, Meena B S2 1Agriculture & Allied Sectors Vertical, NITI Aayog, New Delhi110001, India 2ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana132001, India 3Pondicherry University *Corresponding author: adeeth07@gmail.com
Online Published on 06 October, 2022. Abstract The incidence of milk fever, a calcium deficiency disorder in dairy animals, can be prevented by supplementing their feed with anionic mineral mixture (AMM). Using data from 200 dairy farms in Haryana, a state in India, and a randomized controlled design, we find that supplementing animal feed with AMM reduces the incidence of milk fever from 21% to 2%, improves milk yield by 14%, and farmer profit by 35%. The milk yield in India, and therefore the risk of milk fever, is growing; AMM can be an affordable way to prevent milk fever and improve returns. Top Keywords Milk fever, Anionic mineral mixture, Randomized controlled trial, Impact evaluation, Farmers’ income, Dairy farming. Top |