THE DIAN J F IT;: EC.Sni IS

THE DIAN J F IT;: EC.sNi IS

Organ .of the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics)

- Vol. VIII AUGUST 1953 No. 2

CONTENTS

Page

NOTES AND COMMENTS

FIELDS vs. FARMS • • • • • • •• • • Manilal B. Nanavati

NOTES ON SOME ASPECTS OF RURAL EMPLOYMENT .. 19 M. L. Dantwala.

AGRICULTURAL INCOME AND ITS DISTRIBUTION IN BIHAR _ S. R. Bose • CATTLE PROBLEMS OF GUJARAT, SAURASHTRA AND KUTCH 44 J. K. Desai

REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AGRICUL- TURAL AND CO-OPERATIVE CREDIT • • .. .. 60

RESEARCH IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS .. 64 NOTE ON , BOOK REVIEWS (see inside cover) .. • • • • •. .. 84

Rs. 4/- BOOK REVIEWS

Theodore W. Schultz, The Economic• Organization of Agriculture - M. L. Dantwala • • 84 Henry C. and Anne Dewees Taylor, The Story of Agricultural Economics in the United States A. Correia-Afonso 85 K. N. Naik, Co-operative Movement in the Bombay State V. P. Varde 86 • United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, Mobilisation of Domestic Capital in certain Countries of • Asia and the Far East Phiroze Medhora .• 87 Giuseppe Medici, Land Property and Land Tenure in Italy Manohar V. Hate 90 Mario Bandini, Land Reform in Italy H. B. Shivamaggi 91 Karuna Mukerji, Land Reforms H. B. Shivamaggi 92 Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Government of India, Agri- cultural Legislation in India, Vol. Hi: Agricultural Pro- duction and Development P. S. Sanghvi • • 94 Surendra J. Patel, Agricultural Labourers in Modern India and Pakistan K. D. Shah 95 Oscar Lewis, Life in a Mexican Village: Tepoztlan Restudied A. R. Desai 97 Bhabatosh Datta, The Economics of Industrialisation: A Study of the Basic Problems of an Underdeveloped Economy V. V. Bhatt - • • • • 99 Frank Adams, FAO, Community Organisation for Irrigation in the United States I. G. Acharya • • 101 The Reserve Bank of India, All-India Training Classes in Co-operation K. N. Naik • • .. 102 International Labour Office, An Introduction to Co-operative Practice Kishori C. Shah 103

, EDITORIAL COMMITTEE of The Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics PROF. J. J. ANJARIA (Chairman) DR. G. D. AGRAWAL SHRI K. G. SIVASWAMY DR. M. B. DESAI (Managing Editor) of , wo CATTLE PROBLEMS OF q,UJARAT, SAURASHTRA ass AND KUTCH 7 tri '/1/ 11111 J. DESAI brE School of Economics & Sociology noi eas University of Bombay. Th The importance of animal husbandry in a predominantly agricul- bui tural country like India is immense. The fact that our Five Year Plan on] makes provision for 3 crores of rupees for cattle improvement through a 'Key Village Scheme' (better bulls) and 1 crore for the gradual elimina- aware- tion of unproductive cattle through `Gosadans' shows the recent tio: ness of the importance of this problem. Income from cattle forms 50 per thE cent of our agricultural income and a majority of our rural population is reg subsidiary employed in and derives livelihood from livestock either as a a f agricul- occupation or as a main profession. With the improvement in kr manY- ture and standard of living of our people this is likely to increase lik fold. C01 The importance of cattle in Gujarat, Saurashtra and Kutch is much ing greater because there are still to be found well-defined famous breeds of inc cattle and buffaloes in almost pure form, and a large population of a Pas. special class of professional breeders reputed for their inborn skill and far age-long experience. The Kankrej cows and bullocks are the pride of by Gujarat and the whole country. Milk yields and fat-content of milk of itn] the bovine of Gujarat are higher. The per capita consumption of 11 thE in Saurashtra is the highest in the country (18.78 ozs.) and that in North lbs Gujarat is roughly three times the per capita consumption of the India' thi Union as a whole (5.5 ozs.), and four and a half times that of Bombay Sol (3 ozs.). Moreover, Gujarat is a very important source of supply of milk and much animals to Bombay .City. Present Position India today possesses nearly one-fourth of the cattle wealth of the SOr world; but has the lowest per capita consumption *of milk (5.5 ozs.). Ca Due to recurrence of famines, scarcity of fodder resources and lack of good bulls, the animals are becoming dwarfed and mongrels; they mature the late and calve irregularly; their progeny is becoming weaker and of proportion of dry and unproductive animals is increasing; ten per cent of

1. By Gujarat Districts, we mean the ten districts of the Northern Division of ill! Bombay State. Throughout the article, for the sake of brevity 'Gujarat' is used a' including Saurashtra and Kutch. ras 2. Even though mainly bovine is dealt with, other livestock and poultry have al's° been referred to. CATTLE PROBLEMS OF GUJARAT, SAURASHTRA AND KUTCH 45 of our cattle wealth has already become unproductive and the situation is Worsening day by day. The animals which were, and still can be, great assets are becoming a burden to the keepers. The main reasons for this situation are (i) after the advent of the British, lands reserved for pastures have been progressively brought under the plough, making it impossible for the professional cattle- breeders to raise their cattle on ranching system and (ii) farmers have not only ceased to keep cows, but in addition, have turned to growing Cash crops, which has added to the saarcity of fodder and feed resources. This divorce of land and cattle is one of the main causes of the deficit budgets of the farmer and the poverty of the soil; and this is matched only by the poverty of the breeder and his cattle. But, disquieting though the present situation is, it is by no means hopeless. According to Sir Datar Singh, we are in a much better position than that of U.K. and other Western countries when they started the work of cattle improvement fifty years ago. We have still some regions like North Gujarat and East Punjab where breeds are found in. a fairly pure form; and some well-defined breeds of cattle such as Kn- ltrej, Gir, Hissar, Tharparkar, Amrit Mahal and Ongel; and of buffaloes like Murrah, Surti, Mehsana and Jaffrabadi are still not rare in this country. There are still vast areas of remote lands not utilised for grazing for want of watering facilities and shelter for the cattle. With the increase in irrigation of food and fodder crops, better management of Pastures, storage of fodder and colonisation of the breeders as mixed farmers, the problem of feeds will be eased to a great extent. Breeding by better bulls, elimination of scrub bulls and control of disease will improve the breeds and since our cattle respond quickly to better feeds, the prospects are encouraging. Our cows have yielded milk upto 10,000 lbs. in a lactation in some cases and the fat-content of milk is high. All this is enough to show that the cattle problem of the country can be solved if effective measures are taken in time.

Cattle Wealth of Gujarat Breeds of Cattle: Gujarat (excluding south Gujarat) possesses some of the best breeds of the country, viz., Kankrej, Gir, and Tharparker Cattle; and Mehsana, Surti and Jaffrabadi buffaloes. Kankrej: The preservation of this breed is solely due to the professional breeders of North Gujarat (Rabaris and Bharwads). It is "One of the most important dual-purpose breeds in the purest form which has of recent years been used into promising dairy strains".1

Gir: This. is also a dual-purpose animal and is mainly found in Sau- rashtra. Its peculiarity is that it has reriaarkable capacity for

1. Dr. Kothawala, quoted in 'The Cow in India', Vol. I, p. 139, by S. C. Dasgupta. 46 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS matising itself in any climate of India, and is, therefore, used throughout India for upgrading the local cattle. Tharparkar: It is mainly found in Kutch and Tharparkar district of Sind (which is now in Pakistan) and holds great potentialities as a dual-purpose animal. During the war it was exported to Mesopotamia for military needs and there it could establish its superiority as mulch animal even over the Red-Sindhi. Buffaloes: Surti and Mehsana derive their names from their respective localities and are liked by Bombay milkmen because they are of medium size and consequently are economical to feed. Jaffrabadi is verY massive and therefore is not exported outside its home, Saurashtra. All these buffaloes are very good milkers and the butter-fat of their milk ranges from 7.5 to 12 per cent. The highest fat-content of the milk of a Deccani buffalo hardly goes upto 9 per cent.

Composition of Cattle-Wealth in Gujarat: The following tables giVe5 comparative population of bovine, ovine and poultry according to 1951-52 figures :— (thousands)

District or State Cattle Buffaloes Total Total PoultrY bovine ovine

ijarat District (1951-52) .. .. 3739 1923 5662 2039 1384 Si,urashtra (1951-52) .. 964 417 1381 1432 41* utch (1949-50) ...... 208 39 247 443 11 Ti)tal Gujarat (1951-52) .. .. 4911 2379 7290 3914 1436 nnbay State (1951-52) .. .. 11915 4162 16077 6827 6286 Jr dian Union (1949-50) .. .. 133841 39589 173432 79962 5824St , * Excluding Bhavnagar & Gonda]. t 1947-48.

From the above table it is evident that Gujarat Districts of the Boni.- bay State possess one third of the bovine population of Bombay State and the whole region including Saurashtra and Kutch possesses almost half the bovine population of Bombay State. The ratio of cattle to buffaloes is 2 : 1 in Gujarat and Gujarat Districts, and 3 : 1 in the Bombay State. The most important districts for cattle, are Banaskantha, Mehsana, Ahmedabad and Sabarkantha, while for buffaloes, Kaira, Mehsana, Ahmedabad and Baroda districts are important. Where the climate is dry, grazing facilities satisfactory and irrigation riot developed, cattle have thrived. Where land is fertile and irrigation advanced, the buffalo has displaced the cow. For instance, in the fertile Charoter tract of Kaira district the buffalo population is more than that of cattle by 75,000. In Mehsana and Ahmedabad districts, the buffalo is fast displacing the cattle. On the other hand, in the backward tracts where cultivation is extensive and proportion of poor lands,greater , cattle population is overwhelmingly large. In Banaskantha, Sabar- CATTLE PROBLEMS OF GUJARAT, SAURASHTRA AND KUTCH 47' out kantha, Panch Mahal, Kutch and Saurashtra irrigation has not developed much and, therefore, the cattle population is more than double that of the and Amreli, it rict buffaloes. In the case of Banaskantha, Panch Mahal, is three times the population of buffaloes and in Kutch it is fourfold. S 5 This trend has also been noted in the Punjab where due to the extension of breeding and the breed- ach canal irrigation, farmers have taken to buffalo ing of cattle is confined only to the `Birani' areas (of Khariff crops). The Phenomenon is much more different and striking if we take into consi- res- deration only cows and buffaloes over three years. It will be seen from of the table below that out of the ten districts of the Northern Division of 'err the Bombay State, only five districts have excess of cows over buffaloes. All The following table gives details of cows and buffaloes of the districts having excess of buffaloes over cows. c of

District Cows over 3 years Buffaloes over 3 years Ratio of cows to buffaloes iveS Icaira 1,97,701- 1:5 1-52 • • • • • 37,719 taroda • • • • 53,814 1,15,242 1: 2 Alehsana • • • • • • 1,15,502 2,19,174 1: 2 Ahmedabad • • 84,252 1,03,878 1: 1.2 (approx.) abarkantha • • • • 1,19,912 1,18,940 1: 1 try Source: Livestock Census of the Bombay State, 1951-52.

184 It will be seen from the above table that the ratio of cows to buffaloes 41* is 1: 5 district, 1 : 2 in Mehsana and Baroda districts, 1 : 1.2 11 in the Kaira `.36 in Ahmedabad district and is almost 1 : 1 in Sabarkantha. It may also 86 be population of South Gujarat is poor in quality. ;4St noted that the bovine Even though Panch Mahal district possesses the highest number of cattle Population in Gujarat, they are all non-descript animals bred recklessly by the poor Bhils. On the other hand, the cattle wealth of North Gujarat, logy kutch and Saurashtra is carefully bred by professional breeders who itate have been known for their skill and experience since ages. They are the sseS sole suppliers of the sturdy Kankrej bullocks to the agriculturists. catio and One third of the ovine population of Bombay State is in Gujarat attic' districts of Northern Division, the highest being in Banaskantha. The for Sheep of North Gujarat are known as `Patanwadr. Mehsana, Saurashtra Lpor- 1.1c1 Kutch also are equally important for ovine wealth. Some breeders irri- 14 Saurashtra and North Gujarat have shifted from cattle breeding to and keeping sheep and goats. This is an indication of their worsening econo- 2, in illie condition and the increasing difficulties in raising cattle. Goats are nore also kept in small numbers by many poor farmers and labourers and are a the good source of milk supply to the poor. ward Poultry:..This industry has developed in Surat, Broach and Panch ater, ahal districts where aboriginal and lower caste population is large. It 'bar' "as great prospects as a means of subsidiary income to the small farmers 48 THE INDIAN JOURNAL' OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS' because the initial investment and the cost of production are negligible and production is quick. There is a religious taboo among Hinclu5 actik against taking eggs, but that prejudice• is fast disappearing among the 1141 educated class. villE situ; Significance and. Importance of Cattle-wealth in Gujarat hot above, Gujarat is more fortunate than others in and As we have noted rrim cattle-wealth. Even though it is deficit in draught animals to the extent and milk to Bombay (189 of about -20,000, the export of 25,000 buffaloes tatic Producers' Union alone) balances lakh lbs. during 1951-52 by Anand Milk side found in a better condition, the scales. Not only are the famous breeds salv, substantial. The following their contribution to the economy too is of n figures will bring out the favourable position of the cattle of Gujarat. at s( Table showing the production of milk, average yield etc. eitie Per Total c,vc, of Total Mdie produced Yearly yield capita milk milk milking per day ever of milk (lbs.) consump- produc- produc- bovine dair State Goats tion of tion tion and Cow Buffa- milk (lakh goats Per per lo mds. over village sq. In' City, 3 years Mi.Sr.-M1 Sc (lakhs)

2-15 1-3 Irno • • 131 5.45 4815.50 100.00 683.5 Indian Union 413 1101 day' Bombay .. • • 140 840 115 3.0 211.44 4.4 43.4 2-5 7-12 • 12.9 Saurashtra .. • 1000 2500 200 18.78 183.28 3.8 16 d

Baroda • • 345 1810 130 13.57 107.42 2.2 7.4 10-6 3-24

Source: Milk Marketing Report, 1950. cent mu] From the above table it is apparent that the average milk yield Pe,r cow and buffalo in Saurashtra and former Baroda State is above that 01 fore the Indian Union and also the Bombay State. Moreover, total production almost one of Saurashtra and the (pre-merger) Baroda State alone is QOp including and half times more than the production of the Bombay State trlar the Gujarat districts of which Kaira and Ahmedabad are very important to 5. from the point of view of milk production. At the same time the numb°. avai of milking animals of these two states is about half that of Bombay State' Part Though the development of roads and railways has adversely affected Plat: the bullock as a means of transport, increase in the area under cultivation Pro( coupled with the deterioration in the quality of the bullock, has resulted hot trig in the scarcity of good bullocks and the consequent rise in their price15 and and dependence on other regions. With the increase in irrigation au intensive cultivation the need for bullocks will increase further. As lab' easi as our holdings are small and scattered and the poverty of the cultivaNt prevents him from purchasing costly machinery, the place of the bulloc trig in agriculture is'unquestioned. clea] CATTLE PROBLEMS OF GUJARAT, SAURASHTRA AND KUTCH 49 ;•ible With the increasing population of towns and cities . and the welfare Iclus activities of the Government, the problem of milk-supply has attained the ilriportance and increasingly large quantities of milk from surrounding villages are drawn to urban areas and consumed as fluid milk. The situation is relatively favourable in Gujarat because (i) the probelm is not so much that of scarcity of milk as of reorganisation of the trade, rs ill and (ii) the milkmen in towns and cities of Gujarat are breeders-cum- ctent Mi.lkrnen. They are staunch Hindus who scrupulously maintain their dry (189 animals and calves, and do not send them to the butcher after the lac- tnces tation. They have intimate contacts with their kinsmen in the country- tion side and thus, save much replacement cost by sending their animals for wing salvage and bringing them back when they calve again. The problem Lt. Of milk-supply in Ahmedabad is important, and therefore, we refer to it at some length. Milk supply of Ahmedabad city: Milk production in all towns and „hied Cities in Gujarat is entirely in the hands of Rabari and Bharwad Gopalaks lay even though the trade is captured by some Ghanchis, shop-keepers, __-- dairies, creameries and the like. There are about 10,000 Gopalaks in P°' 4hrnedabad producing about 60 per cent of the milk requirement of the ifscl 11;• eitY, by keeping their cattle in the municipal areas. Large quantity of _- in, ilk is also imported from surrounding milk-pockets by the Gopalaks. 1-3 'illoprts by rail and by road amount to about 3000 and 2000 maunds per claY respectively. In 1951, there were 765 milk shops, 30 creameries and dairies in the city. The quality of the milk produced locally and that i nIPorted from the vicinity is by no means satisfactory. In 1951, 17 per cent of the samples examined •by the municipality was found to be adulterated, and Rs. 48,000 were recovered as fines. This evil practice d Peri Inakes it impossible for honest dealers to stand competition, and there- lat fore, should be drastically checked. nctiO t orle Removal of much animals from municipal areas and colonisation of uding Q°Pa/aks: The evils of keeping much animals in municipal areas are )rtallt inany and, therefore, it is imperative that these cattle should be removed imber to some natural surroundings where grazing and other facilities are State' available. At the same time, this presupposes the preparedness on the Part of local bodies or the Government to make full provision for well Cected Planned colonisation of the milk-producers. With the colonisation of the ratio Producers and reorganisation of the entire trade on co-operative basis, suited .110t only will the intricate problem of quality be solved but also process- price ing of milk etc. will become possible and consumers will get cheaper a arid arid purer milk. Moreover, the improvement of cattle also will become s long easier and more effective. ivator ulloc1( The Bombay Government has given a lead in this matter by colonising the cattle outside the city of Bombay and giving the producers a fair deal by providing them every facility for their business, The Ahmedabad 5u THE INDIAN " JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL _ECONOMICS-

Municipality too, will have to follow suit and make provision not only for and suitable lands, but also for basic requirements like roads, water facilities, /*nal lighting, schools, bull pens, veterinary service, housing, stables, etc. Long' fair term loans with subsidies for initial expenditure, dairy equipment, pur- gen, chase of better animals, bulls etc. may have to be provided. The Ahmeda- eatt bad Municipality is thinking of ousting the milkmen from city limits and /nil] actil providing lands outside the Municipal limits without any further provi' hay sion for their settlement. This will involve great human cost because the bor.] position of these uprooted families of milk-producers, who perform a use" ful social function, will be precarious. This responsibility of the Muni" inoE cipality is all the greater in view of the fact that these people are bacl - Per! ward, illiterate, unorganised and are men without means. Recently, th,e an Government has started milk supply schemes for Poona, Hubli abo the Ahmedabad, and the Poona scheme has achieved good results but and Ahmedabad scheme has been temporarily discontinued. led Utilisation of cattle for ghee and other milk-products: Utilisation Of is milk in fluid form is hardly one-third of the total production, the rest earc turned into ghee and other milk-products. Due to the tropical climate eatt Uiul and lack of transport facilities, people in the villages convert their fat into ghee. The buffalo is fast displacing the cow due to the higher and content of its milk, and that has complicated the cattle problem more be" Ifld cause two different animals are maintained for two different purP°5e3 cell; where one can serve both. This adds to the scarcity of fodder resource.:s Pro, In an experiment conducted at the Poona Agricultural College Dairy 111 ed econo- was found that if only fluid milk is taken into account, a cow is more fodc thant mical than a buffalo but when it is turned into butter, the buffalo more (ii) compensates for the higher feeding costs. More recently, an experiinel for conducted at the Institute of Agriculture, Anand, proved that the 'exPeu trig sufficient t° iture incurred in produceding one pound of buffalo milk was SOu produce 1.75 pounds of cow milk. and the cha The ghee industry is a very good source of subsidiary income to 0ther5 in large quantities to Bombay City and tie farmer as ghee is exported centre regions and to East and South Africa. The important exporting cur: are Deesa, Dhinoj, Ahmedabad, Mehmdabad, Porbunder, Than and J12133- gadh. Usually there is a ghee market in every town. lant has received a great setback due to the production °f This industry der) Not only does Vanaspati compete with pure ghee as a sub; `Vanaspati'. all stitute, it also encourages adulteration on a large scale. If some measured to check production of Vanaspati are not adopted, the whole cattle an dairy industry will be facing ruin. the \ of Marketing: As we have noted above, Gujarat is the sur-o ha Conditions wa; region in regard to milch animals and annually exports about 25,0° plus Of ( milch buffaloes to Bombay City in addition to the milk from Anand area' .cliti but at the same time bullocs have to be imported from Rajasthan, Malla' CATTLE PROBLEMS OF GUJARAT, SAURASHTRA AND KUTCH 51,

or and Rhandesh to the extent of about 20,000. There are no regular cattle es; rnarkets except the weekly fair at Ahmedabad on Friday, and the cattle fair at Dhima (Dharnedhar) in Banaskantha district. The breeders generally .do not engage any middleman for the sale or purchase of their ia- cattle and male calves, but they are at a disadvantage in the marketing of nd /flak and ghee and purchase of cattle feeds. The problem of credit is very vi- acute among the cattle breeders because they are mostly semi-nomadic and :he have no landed property to give as security and, therefore, they have to se- borrow from money-lenders either on the security of ornaments which are ni- inostly of silver (and even if of gold they are of very small value) or on Personal prestige or. from relatives. jle Problem of Improvement of Cattle Industry: This Lnd can be brought about by (i) improvement of the cattle (ii) improvement in the the economic and social conditions of the breeders. Unless both these aspects are tack- led together there is not much hope of improvement of either. of Improvement of cattle: This can be attained by better feeding and is care, selective breeding, disease control and elimination of unproductive ate cattle 111 • at Feeding is the main problem that confronts the country as a whole and be- Gujarat in particular. It is estimated that the fodder resources of ,ses India hardly suffice for 78 per cent of the cattle and the shortage of concentrates is much larger. Feeding is so important that all efforts at im- , it Provement through breeding are meaningless unless they are supplemented by no- adequate nutritious feeding. The main reasons for shortage of Ian fOdder and feed are (i) decrease in pastures and other grazing facilities eat (ii) increase in the areas under cash crops (iii) farmers keeping buffaloes ad' for milk production and landless breeders keeping cows, thus maintain- ; to ing two different animals for specialised work (iv) waste of fodder resources by over-grazing and faulty management of pastures, by not cutting and storing grass at proper time and lack of means to economise such as the chaff cutters pits etc. (v) lack of watering facilities and shelter for cat- her tie which prevent remote areas from being utilised for grazing (vi) re- ,re5 currence of natural calamities. na' Problem of pastures: Pastures in Gujarat are not worth the name. They are uncultivable waste lands (Kharabas) full of shrubs, uneven and of unprotected. These pastures are over-grazed and trampled, recklessly denuded and serve as breeding grounds of mongrel stock and diseases of ires all kinds. They are a 'no man's land'. and These nominal pastures too, have been progressively brought under the plough and the recent Grow More Food Campaign and Tenancy Act have accelerated the process. Before the policy of reserving pastures 0019 Was accepted, most of the pastures have been reduced, and the cultication rea, °f other waste lands in large plots by wealthy people has made the con- [vat -clition of surrounding cattle and their breeders very precarious. 52 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS hE Recently, the Government of Bombay has accepted the policy of re- ri serving 40 acres of grazing area per 100 cattle in the village, and Saurash- re tra has followed the suit. Also the breeders are given priorities as th backward classes in allotment of waste lands, and co-operative mixed farming societies of the breeders are encouraged and given suitable waste sii lands where they are available. Such societies have been formed in te: Kaira and 'Ahmedabad districts and the Gujarat Goseva Sangh and the SO Bhal-Nalkantha Gopalaka Mandal are taking keen interest in this activity to of the breeders.

In the ancient past, in addition to other waste lands, ten per cent of no the village land was reserved as `Gauchar'—grazing land—and great care th, was taken for its management by the people of the village. The Baroda dii Economic Development Committee (1918-19) has rightly noted that the eh minimum of 5 per cent of the village land• reserved as `Gauchar' could w( only serve as exercise ground for the cattle; and for grazing much more av land would be required. They have emphatically stressed the need for cr.( preserving the minimum area of pastures and making good the deficit even by acquiring land. On the basis of rain-fall in Gujarat, three to four acres of grazing land per dependence cattle would be required; but an on grazing alone is not possible under the present circumstances and of therefore, the existing pastures will have to be better managed and judi- ciously utilised. This should waste be supplemented by allotment of of lands to the breeders are and colonising them where suitable waste lands is available in large plots and also by colonising them on large plots of th( waste lands (bids) which have been cultivated after 1943. In addition, 13a the farmers themselves will have to take to cow-keeping and growing th( more of fodder and food crops. Pr, The management of pastures should be handed over to the co-opera- tnE tive societies of the breeders, or where the breeders are not sufficient Go in number, to the village panchayats. The land should be properlY 1.11E protected by trees, bunding and fencing and rotational grazing should be th( resorted to. Where irrigational facilities are available, green grass also al)] should be grown and sowing of better seeds and making of hay should be ad( undertaken. Approved bulls should be provided to the society and scrub reE bulls should be compulsorily castrated. ha] re Migration of the Breeders 13r, Uptill now the breeders have kept their stock intact by wandering ani with their herds in search of pastures and water for their- cattle. This system of breeding has both its advantages and disadvantages. But due Ve to changed situation their nomadic life too has become impossible. TheY are forcibly made to leave their native places with the advent of monsoon the and are not allowed to return till the Khariff crop is harvested. At Or Thl same time those vast areas of waste lands where they used to• migrate CATTLE PROBLEMS OF GUJARAT, SAURASHTRA AND KUTCH 53

have either been cultivated or occupied by landlords and their grazing se- rights have not been recognised. On the way also they meet with active h- resistance from the local cultivators as well as breeders, with the result as that they are unwanted at home and unacceptable outside. This has ad given rise to social tensions between the tillers and breeders and the ;te situation is worsening day by day, and warrants special attention. The in tension can be resolved only if the breeders are given land and colonised he SO that they can become self-sufficient in fodder and can get opportunity .ty to earn an honest bread and improve their cattle wealth. Their nomadic life had enabled them to raise their herds at practically of no monetary cost, but the social costs are heavy. Due to migratory life, tre they have remained seclusive in nature and have developed an altogether da different attitude towords life which cannot be easily adjusted in the ,he Changed circumstances, and this has resulted in their exploitation by Wealthy people from outside who have recently come and occupied all ,re available waste lands. The adverse effects on their housing condition, Co' Creditworthiness, education and morals are also immense. cit 13reeding to purpose ice It is an accepted policy of the Government to breed dual bull. Cattle Lnd animals and grade up the local cattle by means of pedigree di- Of Gujarat have already proved their worth as dual purpose animals. Ste The aim to be achieved is early maturity, regularity in calving, uniformity of of the bull in .a herd are type and greater milk-yield. The importance- of is immense, and the key to the success of the breeders of Gujarat is Chhorsdi and on, their careful attention to this problem. Cattle farms at bulls, and ing takrol do not supply even a fraction of the requirement in therefore, the breeders have to depend mainly on their own bulls. The Premium Bull and Premium Cow schemes have become popular and to Ineet the increasing demand the Government has sought co-operation of ant Goushalas and Pinjrapoles. The Government has a scheme of 'Supple- nY nlentary Breeding Farms', and artificial insemination is resorted to. If be the co-operation of the breeders is sought, the problem of scarcity of as° approved bulls can be eased to a great extent. As breeders have no be adequate means for feeding, young bull-calves should be purchased and. rub reared on Government Farms. Three more cattle farms, one in Banas- kantha, another in Sabarkantha and a third in the Dhandhuka-Dholera region of the Ahmedabad districet should be started immediately. Also in view of the large camel population in the North Gujarat a Camel camel as a much 'log treeding Farm is necessary. The potentialities of animal should be investigated. clue Veterinary Facilities heY These are hopelessly'inadequate and the situation is aggravated by oon the merger of some backward tracts of Sabarkantha and Banaskantha. the The work of the veterinary officers is mostly confined to their respective rate 54 I THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS

dispensaries and the breeders are hardly aware of the activities of this gre department and have little faith in the methods of their treatment. This ver vacuum is filled up by the knowledge of local remedies and indigenous tak, methods of treatment by the breeders themselves. Along with the need ene for more veterinary dispensaries, the system of mobile veterinary vans the and a band of enthusiastic workers for propaganda in livestock improve- Pro ment work are necessary. Some of the local practical remedies of the I.C.A.R. breeders are less costly, more effective and easier to follow. The Ecc has appointed one officer to study the indigenous methods of cattle treatment of the breeders in different parts of the country. eco: - There is a scheme for the gradual elimination of unproductive cattle through Gosadans and two pinjrapoles in Gujarat have prepared a scheme for starting Gosadans on their lands. Of Contribution of Rabaris and Bharwads as Expert Cattle-breeders sigt cent of the cows of north belong to About 95 per central Gujarat 46, these Gopalaks. They are expert cattle-breeders, know local remedies for the treatment of their cattle, mate their cattle selectively, and their power of commanding the cattle is unique. Writing about• Rabaris Dr. Mu.ndhe says, "The real credit for improvement and preservation of good strains of cattle, sheep and goats and even buffaloes (especially in Pain Kathiawar) must go to them. They make very good controllers and AVei Age judges of cattle. They have their traditional ideas and conventions about Calv the good and bad points of cattle and about their raising. Some of than Aye, others Len, possess good knowledge of veterinary medicine (old system) and Aye; are expert in dealing with obstetric cases. So there are no patrons of the cow in Gujarat expect the Rabari and the pinjrapoles. The latter have to be ruled out from the field of constructive work due to their incur- able orthodoxy and consequent inability to render real service to the live- The stock economics under present conditions. The Rabari, as a keeper of the cow and producer of working bullocks has, therefore, a legitimate place in the agrarian economics of Gujerat, unless the tiller of the soil takes to cattle breeding and alters his views in regard to castration."1 •leaN; and "In the grazing tracts the Rabaris, or professional breeders, pursue as business with considerable skill and knowledge. are most their They thei 'careful about mating, practice early castration, herd their cattle separatelY and take them to the best grazing grounds at the best seasons, producing excellent cattle with an expenditure that could hardly be lowered."2 fes§: Improvement in the Conditions of the Breeders As we have seen above the breeders have performed useful social redi functions in the past as pioneers in the development of Gujarat region of and, their contribution through their profession even today is equallY

1. Nomadic Cattle-Breeders of Gujerat and Kathiawar-1, Indian Farming, Vol. and No. 7, pp. 315-16. 2. Note on Cattle in the Bombay Presidency by G. F. Keatinge, p. 17. CATTLE PROBLEMS OF .GUJARAT,• SAURASHTRA AND HUTCH 55 great. Social justice and economic necessity demand that when their very existence is threatened drastic ameliorative measures should be taken to save them and their profession. Before discussing this, a refer- ence to their economic and social conditions will help us to understand the grave situation and their, inability to take advantage of the facilities Provided by the Government due to their backwardness and lack of means. Economic and Social Conditions of the Breeders The following are the sure indicators of the deterioration in their economic and social conditions. 1. The size of their herd has greatly diminished, and the proportion of dry and young stock is increasing due to lack of feeds. The following table taken from Dr. Mundhe's article' shows the significant deterioration in the cattle-wealth and the conditions of the breeders in Gujarat during the last fifty years.

Conditions Conditions Items of comparison about 50 at years ago present

l'ainilies of Rabaris engaged in cattle breeding industry, 100 per cent 60 per cent Average strength of cattle herds of each family".. .. '15 to 30 6 to 15 age of first calving .. ' • • • • • • • • • 2/ to 3/ years 4 to 6 years months Calving interval • • • • • • • • • • 15 to 18 months 18 to 36 verage daily milk yield per cow during lactation 8 lbs. Hardly 3 lbs. Length of lactation .. • • • • • 9 to 12 months 4 to 6. months Average number of calves during the life time of a cow 6 to 8 2 to 4

2. Their ornaments, which are the only indication of their savings, have either disappeared or the gold ones are replaced by silver ones. Their indebtedness has increased. 3. Even though the breeders are known to be nomadic, their attach- nlent to their home and family is so great that they will not normally leave their place permanently. Today, in addition to migrating to towns and cities, they accept menial services and allow their women to work as maid servants and boys as hotel-boys even at the risk of lowering their prestige in the community and facing other evils. 4. In spite of their deep-rooted sentimental affection for their profession, many families have started leaving it, due to helplessness. 5. The proportion of milk and ghee in their diet has become greatly reduced and they hardly even get enough `chhash'. The consumption (If inferior and coarse grains has increased. , - 6.- Their equipment is of The poorest types, their vessels are earthern and dress made • of stereotype coarse material. 1. Dr. Mundhe, op. cit., p. 316. 6 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS

7. Their houses are mostly secluded and at the extreme corner of the village. The same house (or room) in many cases provides habitation for both men and milking cattle with their calves. The hearth is a common cooker for human and animal food, Sanitation is poor. Socially they are climbing down the ladder. Castes considered as lower to them previously, now sometimes take objection to inter-dining because of the change in their economic status. Their nomadic life has deprived them completely of the social contact and other advantages of civic life like education, housing, possession of landed property and costly and scientific equipment for their profession and other amenities of life. In consequence, they have developed a seclusive, superstitious and indolent nature, which repels anything that is new and adores their age-old things in the name of custom and tradition. This has resulted in their mood of resignation and helplessness. Such social rigidities have encouraged the continuance of evils like child-betrothals and child marriages, lavish expenditure on social functions, hospitality to a fault, peculiarly uniform coarse clothing and the like. They still dream about their past, are annoyingly over-confident about their future and exces- sively rigid in their social values. The above conditions have not only resulted in their apathy and lack of faith in education but also in active resistance to it. Those 'wh° dare to send their children to school are looked down and frowned upon by their relatives and well-wishers. This hostile attitude towards education has resulted in the fact that no enlightened workers have come out from this class to awaken them from their great slumber, and other social workers have given them up as 'incorrigible'. Without education their social values cannot be changed, and unless they are changed no 'urge can be created for better and fuller life. Government should take active interst and provide free education and vocational training and help them to survive. Their level of education is perhaps much lower than that of most of the backward and scheduled castes, and therefore, needs special measures to bring it on par with other backward communities. All the above facts are sufficient testimony to the worsening economic and social conditions and the extreme backwardness of the breeders, accompanied by the decline of the cattle industry of Gujarat. Along with giving them land and colonising them, they should also be provided with educational, cultural and other opportunities by classifying them in the Backward Class.

Colonisation of the Bredders Colonisation will help the breeders to lead a settled life and make them self-sufficient in fodder. The conflict between the breeders and the cultivators will come to an end. At the same time the breeders will CATTLE PROBLEMS OF GUJARAT, SAURASHTRA AND KUTC11

)f realise the value of work and will start the cattle improvement work. More cattle will be raised on the same land by better utilisation of graz- ;11 ing lands, fodder and feed resources. Also the Government will be relieved of the huge expenditure incurred on famine relief. as The Rabari Development Scheme aS It was in 1937 that the Baroda Government after a long trial of of repressive measures against the cattle breeders came to the conclusion that "The restraining steps unaccompanied by ameliorative measures, es resulted in deterioration of cattle population, thus enhancing poverty of tiS the breeders and developing criminal proclivities amongst them". Thus ;ir a scheme called 'The Rabari Development Scheme' was started in 1939 ed and at the time of the merger of the State two colonies and twenty-four ,eS settlements were in existence, with 406 families, 5219 cattle and 17 Lid bulls and 5827 bighas of land under food and fodder crops.

The scheme was based on the following principles:-- aS- (i) reserve the available suitable marginal or Government waste lands as might be available from Mehsana district for the pur- nd pose of developing cattle breeding industry. ho (ii) induce the nomadic breeders to settle themselves on these lands on by giving to them land free of any cost or at reduced rate of assessment. )nt ler (iii) improve andY utilise such lands for the purpose of production of natural .on and cultivated fodder for maintenance and improvement of livestock. ihe (iv) supply to the breeders free of cost the necessary initial equipment and finances to enable them to settle down and carry out the Ter prescribed programme of work. (v) arrange for instructions and guidance in carrying out the prescribed programme.

This scheme was confined to the Mehsana district only, because ?i per cent of the population of the breeders in the State was concentrated !rs, 111 this district. Each of the 160 villages was found to possess 300 or rnore bighas of land and were reserved for the scheme. In order to led enable the breeders to take maximum advantage of the available lands, ern to systems were evolved: (1) Colonisation system and (2) Settlement System. The colonisation system was to be adopted where a minimum q 600 bighas of land in one consolidated block was available, and the settlement system was adopted where available waste land was found in iie a scattered condition. Under the latter system the land was given to the local Rabaris of the village concerned and under the former, Rabaris 011 from any part of the State were allowed to colonise , permanently. . 58 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS to (b) The programme of work contained (a) Improvement of land, thE Improvement provement of livestock, (c) Improvement of marketing, (d) Rai in the efficiency of breeders (methods of breeding). an( The difficulties experienced were (i) inherent defects in the breeders far and themselves; (ii) first three years were scarcity years; (iii) resistance vil- lan from the united front of the farmers from surrounding harassment political reg lages; (iv) insecurity of tenure in the Bellasar colony; (v) continuance climate after independence and uncertainty regarding the ilig the scheme. bre of• tior The Progress of the Scheme and Benefits Derived by the Breeders Of the (1) The greatest merit of the scheme in our opinion is that 'tamed' t° Go/ Rabaris who are known to be nomadic since ages have been against the idea of settled and secured life, and have taken to work diligent and their indolent nature. They have realised the advantages of Of t opportunities for self-sufficient life and are today too eager to avail of the them in cr, given to them. This scheme has proved to be a great boon to kl-01 changing their whole outlook. repi rest in the Bellasar colony in five years (2) The all-round improvement 130a] was noted in 1945 as follows:— but about 90 There was a rise of 50 per cent in milk-yield per cow; Of t uniforrnitY per cent of the animals showed better body development and shot of breed characteristics; about 200 per cent improve' arld in representation grasses; ment was achieved in qualitative and quantitative growth of at the crops were cultivated by Rabaris and concentrates were fed Nati food concentrates) colony, (usually Rabaris hardly have the means to feed marketing the there was improvement in health, disease control and and great aspects. This clearly shows that colonisation has resulted in quai improvement of livestock, land and the conditions of the breeders. ahd and (3) The scheme has made other Governments, social workers associations thinkers conscious about this intricate problem and now 1)11r] Mandal' are ahd like 'Gujarat Goseva Sangh' and `Bhal-Nalkantha Gopalak societies of renli taking active interest in the co-operative mixed farming the breeders. Utile Apart from other merits of the scheme, it was for the first was adopted by the Government. This satic that human and welfare approach State. arid commendable step of Baroda State has ,given a lead to the Bombay whether the Government of Bombay would have accepted eellt] It is doubtful breeders, even the principle of colonisation and giving waste lands to had there been no precedent created by the Baioda State. ties , a fev Bombay Government's Scheme of colonisation Of fc the The Government of Bombay has, after a long time, accepted lands principle of colonisation of the breeders and allotment of waste CATTLE PROBLEMS OF GUJARAT, SAURASHTRA AND ItUTCH 50

to them. A `liabari-Bharwad Colonisation Officer' has been appointed for that purpose since 1948-49. After the merger of Baroda State 'The Rabari Development Scheme' has been taken over by the Government and a reorganised scheme is in operation since 1950-51. Also mixed farming societies of breeders have been recently• started in Kaira, Ahmedabad and Mehsana districts and Government has granted them lands and financial help. Breeders' societies for milk recOrding and .r herd- egisters are encouraged and cattle shows and rallies are held in increasing numbers. Special schemes are started to give encouragement to breeders and farmers of backward classes. In short, Government's functions are expanding from veterinary to welfare aspects and co-operation of social workers and welfare associations is enlisted. Gopalak Development Board Necessary In order that the work of cattle improvement and the amelioration of the breeders be effective, it is imperative that a comprehensive for plan the breeders should be prepared, and for that purpose, a central ‘C4opa1ak Development Board' should be established with 50 per cent re presentatives of the breeders, 25 per cent of the Government and the rest ar from experts and other persons interested in the problem. This 13oard should be responsible not only for the colonisation of the breeders, 90 bid also for the all-sided development of the breeders and reorganisation of the Lity whole livestock industry. Local committees on the same lines Should ye- be formed at district levels, and the Board should co-ordinate ;es; and guide their activities. the Natural Hazards: Famine, Floods, Epizootics, Locusts ,es) etc. Cattle suffer most during such natural calamities. Not only is the cattle-wealth reduced 'eat in size, but also that which remains deteriorates glaalitatively, loses resistance power and succumbs to diseases of all kinds alld special feeds become necessary to make them productive again. and Famines .ons in Gujarat have become recurrent due to many reasons. buring a famine are year, scarcity of fodder and water becomes very acute, arld the ; of condition of the breeders becomes very precarious. Short-term 1:exnedies are: 'imports of fodder, growing of emergency fodder crops by ir rigation, feeding centres for draught and milking animals, planned. I nlgration of dry stock and transit camps. Long term remedies are coloni- ['his sation of the breeders, encouragement to food and fodder crops, storage ,ate, alld economic use of fodder and buffer-stocks by Government at district )tecl eeiltres in the famine zones. During floods cattle suffer equally but the ovine suffer most. Epizoo- 'les is the worst enemy of livestock and large herds are destroyed within a few days. Locusts.too have their own share in creating extreme scarcity the °I fodder resources. 1c15