El Nino Taking its Toll on India’s Livestock Sector – Livestock Faces Rising Heat, Feed and Disease Risks

Livestock producers in Telangana are facing a combination of heat stress, below-normal rainfall, fodder shortages and potential disease pressure, highlighting the growing intersection between climate and animal health.

The state has reportedly received rainfall approximately 16% below normal, while veterinary experts have warned that hotter and drier conditions can increase physiological stress and reduce livestock productivity. (ntnews.com)

The reported fodder deficit in affected areas has added another layer of pressure.

Multiple Risks Are Converging

Climate stress can affect livestock through several pathways:

Heat → reduced feed intake → lower productivity → weaker condition → greater disease susceptibility

At the same time, water shortages and changes in vector populations can increase additional health risks. For dairy cattle, heat stress can affect:

• Feed intake

• Milk yield

• Fertility

• Immunity

• Body condition

• Metabolic health

Emerging Animal-Health Market

The response is increasingly moving beyond conventional veterinary medicines. Potential interventions include:

• Cooling and ventilation

• Electrolytes

• Mineral supplementation

• Feed additives

• Probiotics

• Fodder management

• Parasite control

• Vaccination

• Precision livestock monitoring

Strategic / Analyst View

Climate resilience is becoming a new product category within animal health. The market opportunity sits at the intersection of:

Animal Health + Animal Nutrition + Farm Infrastructure + Climate Technology

This could be particularly important in India, where smallholder farmers often have limited capacity to absorb productivity losses.

The winning technologies will likely be those that can demonstrate a measurable economic outcome—such as litres of milk protected, fertility maintained or mortality avoided—rather than simply a laboratory biological effect.