Transformation of Goat Husbandry Into an Eco-Friendly Livelihood Programme

TRANSFORMATION OF GOAT HUSBANDRY INTO AN ECO-FRIENDLY LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMME

Goat has the dubious distinction of destroying the eco-system and environment due to its aggressive browsing habit and tolerance to harsh weather conditions. Promotion of goat husbandry has not been receiving due attention or financial support, and thus their genetic base and productivity has been severely eroded in recent years. However, goat is an important source of livelihood particularly for women in rural India.

With the reduction in profitability, the only option available for goat keepers was to enhance the herd size to cope with their food security. While initiating the livestock development programme, BAIF realised that it is through dairy husbandry that farmers can be provided with sustainable livelihood. BAIF did not attempt to promote goat development primarily due to the low productivity and potential. Being a Gandhian organisation, BAIF also gave priority to promotion of non-violent ways of generating gainful self employment instead of encouraging goats which go for meat production. However, BAIF was urged to initiate a goat project in West Bengal as some of the policy makers and officials felt that with high mortality and low production, a large number of goat keeping women are deprived of their earnings and live in chronic poverty. Apart from a request from the Government of West Bengal, BAIF was also persuaded by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust to take up a pilot project with an assurance to provide financial support to the project. Thus with great hesitation, BAIF ventured into goat development with a mission to develop best practices to turn goat husbandry into an eco-friendly enterprise for benefit of small farmers, landless and women.

The area selected for the project included 135 villages in Raina II and Kanksha blocks of Burdwan district and Ranibandh and Raipur blocks of Bankura districts, covering 10,000 women and their families, maintaining goats. BAIF studied their problems and identified genetic erosion, mortality and morbidity due to PPR and endo-parasites and poor feed due to lack of fodder resources and exploitation by middle men.

1 Thus, a strategy was promoted to enhance the profitability of goat keepers.

1. Formation of self help groups of goat keeping women with 5-7 women maintaining 35-40 does.

2. Training of women through locally appointed field guides each supporting 10 self help groups.

3. Provision of a superior quality Black Bengal buck with the condition that buck keepers will take good care and maintain does at nominal prices to cover the cost of feed.

4. Vaccination against PPR. Deworming by collecting service charges.

5. Demand good feed and mineral mixture

6. Castration of inferior males at one month of age to improve the productivity.

7. Use of weighing balance before selling to enlighten the goat keepers of the value of goats.

8. Linkage with market

The programme was implemented by people with veterinary background, supervisors and locally trained men and women. Training was organised for goat keepers and critical inputs such as mineral mixture, deworming at cost. While the field guides carried out deworming, the local veterinary department carried out vaccination.

Self Help Groups also had an understanding that none of them will increase the herd size beyond 8-10 depending on the fodder availability in the village. They were also enlightened about the need to improve the genetic base by eliminating odd types of does and to breed the Black Bengal type. With regard to visit of field guides, goat keepers adopted their practices and with their initiatives, the growth of the kids and mortality came down to less than 5 % Deworming and mineral mixture further ensured growth and with the weighing balance, the

2 value could be assessed and they could bargain with the middle men. At the end of three years, goat keeping women could reduce their herd size while improving their productivity. With the increasing deforestation and drought, cattle are superceded by goats, which are perceived as a threat to the eco-system. However, small farmers, landless and women-headed families dependent on goat, are struggling to make their living, despite any support from development agencies. BAIF felt the need for supporting goat keepers to adopt eco-friendly practices, to make their living without damaging the biodiversity.

BAIF promoted the Goat Development project in 135 villages in Burdwan and Bankura districts of West Bengal by involving 10,000 goat keeping women. Goat keepers’ problems such as genetic erosion, shortage of feed, infestation of endoparasites, prevalence of deadly diseases and exploitation by the traders were identified. Groups of 5-7 women, maintaining 35-40 goats were organised. Local youth, preferably female, were trained as field guides for 4 weeks and assigned to supervise 8-10 SHGs. One elite buck of local Black Bengal breed was provided to each SHG and one of the members volunteered to take care and collected Rs.5-10/- per breeding service to cover the maintenance cost. Goat keepers were trained in stall-feeding, housing and vaccination.

Vaccination against deadly PPR disease reduced mortality to below 5%. Regular deworming and supplementary feeding enhanced the growth rate. Field guides who were given spring balance, insisted upon the goat keepers to weigh their goats regularly, which enabled them to observe improvement in growth and to assess value of goats before selling, which empowered them to bargain for better price and the earning enhanced by 3-4 folds. The field guide collected moderate fees, apart from keeping some goats to demonstrate best practices while earning additional income. The project enabled goat keepers to earn Rs. 10,000-12,000 (USD 250) while keeping 5-6 goats, without denuding the vegetation. Replication of this project can benefit millions of poor and women-headed families to earn their livelihood.