Primary purpose of
this blog is to highlight the special role of the small
holder (particularly SC/ST) in sustaining and gaining income through improved
Animal Husbandry practices. This has got a greater relevance when we weigh of
the resultant benefit to the community through
diverse animal resources in terms of human
development, against the economic
development where there is an opulence of money accrued through individual
profit. “Human
development report” published by
UNDP, crisply analysed the benefit accrued by various economic groups as a
result of economic
development. 86% shares of benefit from world
GDP went to the richest twenty per cent, 13% to middle sixty per cent and 1% went to the poorest
twenty per
cent. Sixty eight per cent share of the
benefit from foreign direct investments go to the 20% richest, thirty per cent to the middle 60% and only one per cent to the poorest 20%. The case of the small holder
in the sector of livestock and animal resources need much
greater and concerted attention in the backdrop that the world richest animal
bio-diversity is
still available in our country, waiting
to be explored and tapped optimally.
The remarkable achievement
by millions of small holders made through milk
producers’ co-operatives involving 40 million people has almost made the country world’s largest milk producer. The contributions from miniscule
units culminated in producing milk worth 55 billion rupees annually. This
success story strengthens the case of the small
holder. Unfortunately, the small holders in the sectors like sheep, goat,
swine’s, poultry, equines and other animal resources should have received the
highest priority in the welfare economy.
A holistic, need-based service with delivery of relevant inputs near their
establishment is essential since women and children are the main players
involved in this endeavor. Intervention in the form of information, service,
primary support for collection, transport, storage or marketing had not
received the priority the small holders deserve.
Animal husbandry in India, as
also agriculture, has become strongly caste based. Only lower caste people are
engaged in this profession. There are various lower castes that are assigned
the duty of looking after different kinds of animals. Without any education
they could not improve the livestock. The high caste and educated people did
not care to improve the animal wealth because they were not supposed to engage
in such ‘menial jobs’. The result is that after thousands of years of animal
rearing, practically no improvement had taken place in animal husbandry in the
villages.
Even then, animal husbandry
remained part and parcel of Indian agriculture. Cultivation of land and rearing
of animals always went together because most of the farm power and manure came
from the domestic animals. India has largest domestic animal population in the
world but is last in their productivity. The average Indian farmer is ignorant
of most of the factors of animal husbandry.
No attention was given on
improvement of animal husbandry till 1960. After that some cattle breeding
stations and research stations were established. The project directorate for
cattle breeding is located in Meerut (U.P.). The directorate is having eight
All India Coordinated projects and under these projects a total of 95 centres
are established: 43 in State Agriculture Universities, 16 under ICAR and 36
under private and non-governmental institutes. Besides these there are 3 deemed
Universities dealing with specific programmes in Animal Husbandry. They are
Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar (U.P.), National Dairy Research
Institute, Karnal, Haryana and National Institute of Animal Centres, Karnal,
Haryana. Various types of researches are being done in these centres and the
three deemed universities.
There are 150
government-breeding farms all over the country. Their function is to maintain
the pure strains of the indigenous breeds and to improve progressively the
nucleus of individual breeds, demonstrate modern methods of feeding, disease
control, pedigree registration, herd book maintenance under the Herd
Registration Scheme. Number of measures was taken to improve the breeds of the cattle
and to increase the milk production. Today India is the largest producer of
milk, leather and leather products in the world.
State-wise, the largest number
of cattle is found in Uttar Pradesh followed by Madya Pradesh, Bihar,
Maharastra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Gujrat
and Punjab. Maximum attention was given for improvement in the cattle quality
for milk production only and meat, egg and leather were given less priority.
Hence other major component of animal husbandry like sheep, goat, swine (pig
farming) and poultry, which are reared by poor SC people were remain untouched by
the most of government scheme for their improvement in the quality. Whatever
little work has been carried out by some research institutions and agriculture
university departments are yet to reach to the people. Thus there is plenty of
scope for improving their quality and products and extension.
The SED at its
Gramin Vigyan Kendra (GVK) at village Digod in Kota (Rajasthan) has been engaged in promoting rearing of small
animals like goat, hen and rabbits. Training programmes are regularly organised
at this Kendra for people of lower income groups and weaker sections of the
society. The various scientific aspects such as breed improvement, feed
development and feeding, housing, pre and post natal care, immunization, better
productivity are taken care off during the training.