Officials explain that the decline reflects broader structural changes in agriculture, particularly the shift toward mechanisation. Tractors and other machinery are replacing traditional draft animals, reducing the reliance on bullocks for fieldwork. This transition has inadvertently reduced the incentive to keep larger herds of cattle, undermining the supply of farmyard manure and boosting dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

The census also highlights changing preferences among dairy producers. As native breeds decline, many farmers are moving toward crossbred cows that deliver higher milk yields, altering herd composition but potentially eroding genetic diversity over time. Challenges such as reduced fodder cultivation, inadequate summer feed availability, low milk prices, and a lack of effective insurance support are further discouraging livestock rearing as a core farm activity.

Interestingly, the livestock mix is evolving: while traditional dairy animals shrink in number, sheep and goats have grown substantially over the past decade, and poultry populations more than doubled since 2019. Sheep alone jumped from 19.10 lakh in 2012 to 29.01 lakh in 2025, with notable increases in areas like Uravakonda division. At the same time, populations of donkeys and horses have nearly vanished.