Dairy Farming through Crossbreeds in Haryana

The Arvind Dairy Farm was established by Mr. Promod Khokhar in Nalvi Khurd village, Karnal, Haryana, as a cattle farm within a traditional agricultural system. Later, Mr. Ravi Khokhar, his young brother, joined with him and now manages the agricultural farm and other related activities.

Mr. Ravi Khokhar wanted to diversify farming by changing the family-based subsistence farming system to crossbred dairy cows. Before starting farming, he got training at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI). He owns a well-established cattle stable, a feeding facility, healthy crossbred cows, and an automated milk collection system.

Currently, the Arvind Dairy owns 30 crossbred cows, and its milk is supplied to the nearby market. The farm has 80% of dairy cows in the lactation phase, as it sells approximately 50–60 animals. The maximum cattle production lies between 35 and 53 liters.

Animals are given a mixture of green and dry fodder, including wheat straw, oats, and berseem, three times a day, along with homemade concentrate, including de-oiled cake, neembola, and maize, wheat, and barley, and also a mineral combination (200 g per animal per day) for optimal health and quality milk.

Also, to maintain the health of animals, proper and timely vaccination is followed. Mr. Ravi attributes the success of the Arvind Dairy Farm to hard work and passion. Through his efforts, the farm has grown from 30 to 80 crossbreeds and is now providing modern facilities for dairy animals.

At the Dairy Mela, organized by the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, Mr. Ravi got recognition as ‘Milk Champion’ in 2015. He markets the milk to Nestle, confectionary stores, nearby villages, and community events as per the requirement.

He aims to rear crossbreed animals on the farm that could produce 50 liters of milk per animal per day. He inspires other celebrities as well, and he constantly gives advice to them.

Mr. Ravi is an informal member of the Dairy Farmer Association and a Haryana-based farmer. In the future, he aims to expand the farm with more breeds of pure Holstein Friesian. He wants to convey a message to fellow farmers that they should work with passion, breed with high-quality semen, and focus on the purity of their breeds, which will lead to a successful dairy venture.