Less hot air
OPINION: Farmers won't get any credit for this from the daily media, so Milking It is giving the bouquets where they’re due.
Heat stress is leading to reduced appetitie, lower weight gain and decreased fertility in cattle. Rising temperatures could reduce milk output by up to 25% in India's hotter areas by 2085, according to recent research published in the Lancet.
Solutions to ward off heat stress include specially designed sheds with fans and sprinklers to keep cattle cool, but that comes at a high cost and only big, intensive dairy farms can afford such infrastructure.
So many farmers are giving their cows hourly showers to keep them cool.
