Animal Husbandry

Background

The residents in Bordi Inami village of Dahod in Gujarat have faced significant deficits in income from animal husbandry business. One of the reasons attributed to this was the lack of knowledge regarding the various aspects of animal husbandry. Smt. Rathod Chanchalben Balwant, a resident of the village, for instance, was not aware of good breeds of animals. In addition, she was not familiar with the measures required to treat sick animals. As a result, her income from the animal husbandry business was very low. In such a scenario, it was essential to improve the productivity of animal husbandry activities in Dahod so as to increase the income of the tribal farmers.

Intervention

In order to diversify livelihoods in Dahod, the State Government has launched various subsidiary schemes so that more people can join in the pastoral profession and run their own livelihoods. Individuals belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes receive benefits from subsidised schemes, providing them with good business opportunities.

In order to improve awareness and enhance information dissemination on the various facets of running an animal husbandry business, officers from various departments of the government and from Gram Sabhas started visiting the beneficiaries frequently and provided access to better quality seeds, animal feed, veterinary assistance, and information on milk production.

Impact

As an illustration of impact for individuals, the story of Smt Rathod Chanchalben Balwant Singh is of great significance: not only was she able to expand her operations, but she did so, profitably. From 8 cows in 2012-13, the total count was increased to 14 in 2015-16. Consequently, the production of milk increased from 11,761 litres to 28,562 litres representing an increase of 143%. Additionally, net profits from her business increased 141%. 

Source : Aspirational Districts for WEB