Association of Climatic Variability with Milk Production: A Twenty-Year Seasonal Study in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Climate plays a significant role in the physiological well-being and productivity of dairy animals. The present study assessed the association of climatic variables, namely maximum temperature, minimum temperature and rainfall, with milk production in milch animals maintained at the dairy farm of Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The analysis used twenty years (2006-2025) of seasonal data covering winter, summer, south-west monsoon and post-monsoon periods. Seasonal weather analysis indicated variability in maximum and minimum temperatures during winter and post-monsoon seasons, whereas monsoon temperatures remained relatively stable. Rainfall showed considerable seasonal variability, with coefficients of variation ranging from 27.6 per cent during the south-west monsoon to 144.4 per cent during the post-monsoon season. Correlation analysis indicated generally weak associations between milk production and temperature variables. Summer maximum and minimum temperatures were weakly negatively correlated with milk production (r = -0.029 and r = -0.068, respectively), whereas post-monsoon maximum temperature showed a weak positive association (r = 0.293). Rainfall showed a moderate negative association with milk production in summer (r = -0.493) and a moderate positive association during the south-west monsoon (r = 0.419). The findings suggest that summer stress, rainfall-related management challenges, fodder availability and water resources may contribute to seasonal variation in milk production. The study emphasises season-specific management, including heat-stress mitigation and efficient fodder and water management, to support dairy productivity under variable climatic conditions.