Role of goats in livelihood security of rural poor in the less favoured environments

Abstract

The present study assesses contribution of goats to the livelihood of rural poor in the semi-arid regions of India. It is based on primary data collected from semiarid zones of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during the year 2001-2002. The goat rearing was a major source of livelihood mainly for landless, marginal and small farmers, and rural woman, but in Rajasthan the large farmers had also widely adopted it. The flock size in different categories varied from 2.43 to 36 breedable goats in Uttar Pradesh and 3.47 to 45.59 breedable goats in Rajasthan. The resource flows showed that the goat production component had strong linkages with other components of the farming system and was largely dependent on the common grazing resources. Resource use structure including housing, feeding systems, flock management and labour utilization pattern were also examined. A regression was tried to ascertain the determinants of flock-size. The existence of scale economies was also assessed through cost analysis and regression function. The access and control profile reflected the gender participation in goat rearing and its significance for women empowerment. On an average goat-keeper‘s family earned a net annual income of Rs. 1216 to Rs. 1819 per goat in different categories and goats contributed up to 85 percent of the total income of the family. The Losses due to diseases, scarcity of fodder and poor realization of price of produce were found to be the major constraints in goat rearing. Degradation in the quality of breeding animals and poor access to improved technologies and critical inputs were other major constraints. Low adoption of improved technologies was constraining the productivity of goats. Finally the paper draws implications for development of goat farming.