Livestock rearing holds significant promise for bolstering non-farm employment and income in India’s rural landscape. With a vast agrarian populace, leveraging the potential of livestock can substantially alleviate rural unemployment and poverty. To harness this potential, a multi-pronged approach is imperative. Firstly, investing in infrastructure such as veterinary services, animal husbandry facilities, and marketing networks is crucial. Enhancing access to credit and insurance schemes for livestock farmers can mitigate risks and encourage investment. Additionally, promoting skill development programs tailored to livestock management and value addition can empower rural youth with employable skills. Encouraging the adoption of modern technologies and practices for efficient livestock management and healthcare is indispensable. Furthermore, fostering partnerships between government agencies, research institutions, and private enterprises can facilitate knowledge transfer and innovation in the sector. By implementing these measures, India can unlock the full potential of livestock rearing as a driver of rural employment and income generation.
Tag: Economics of animal rearing.
Decoding the Question:
- In the Introduction, write about livestock and the 20th livestock census.
- In Body
- Discuss the role of livestock in providing non-farm employment and income in rural areas.
- In the second part, discuss suitable measures to promote the livestock sector.
- In conclusion, write suggestions and underline their importance.
Answer:
The term “LIVESTOCK” is used in a broad sense to cover all domestic animals reared mainly for the economic benefits. Domestic animals included are large and small quadrupeds, poultry, insects (bees) and larvae of insects (silkworms). Livestock sector plays an important role in the Indian economy. Livestock sector contributes 4.11% of GDP and 25.6% of total Agriculture GDP.
Indian Scenario of Livestock:
- Livestock Census: As per the 20th livestock population, the total livestock population in the country is 535.82 million which includes:
- The total Bovine population (Buffalo, Cattle, Mithun, and Yak) is around 302.82 million, the total number of cattle is 192.52 million.
- Female cattle are 145.12 million, etc this rich population of India’s livestock wealth has been the strength of the rural economy.
- India has vast livestock resources. India has 56.7% of the world’s buffaloes, 12.5% cattle, 2.4% camel (10th in camel population in the world) and 3.1% poultry (2nd largest poultry market in the world).
- Economic Significance: The livestock sector contributes 4.11% of GDP and 25.6% of total Agriculture GDP. The rapid growth of this sector can lead to more egalitarian and inclusive growth. This is because those engaged in it are mostly small landholders and landless farmers.
Role of livestock in providing non-farm employment and income in rural areas:
- Income: Livestock is a source of subsidiary income for many families in India especially the resource-poor who maintain few heads of animals. Cows and buffaloes provide regular income to the livestock farmers through the sale of milk. Animals like sheep and goats serve as sources of income during emergencies to meet exigencies like marriages, treatment of sick persons, children’s education, repair of houses, etc. The animals also serve as moving banks and assets which provide economic security to the owners.
- Employment: A large number of people in India being less literate and unskilled depend upon agriculture for their livelihoods. It employs about 8.8 % of the population in India. The landless and less land people depend upon livestock to utilize their labor during the lean agricultural season.
- Food: Livestock products such as milk, meat, and eggs are an important source of animal protein to the members of the livestock owners. The per capita availability of milk is around 375 g/day and eggs is 74/annum during 2017-18.
- Social security: The animals offer social security to the owners in terms of their status in society. The families, especially the landless who own animals are better placed than those who do not. Gifting of animals during marriages is a very common phenomenon in different parts of the country.
- Gender equity: Animal husbandry promotes gender equality. More than 3/4th of the labor demand in livestock production is met by women. The share of women employment in the livestock sector is around 90% in Punjab and Haryana where dairying is a prominent activity and animals are stall-fed.
- Protection against disasters: Livestock are the best insurance against drought, famine, and other natural calamities. The majority of the livestock population is concentrated in marginal and small size of holdings. Further, agricultural productions get valuable organic manure provided by the livestock.
To achieve actual potential and increase the income of farmers and rural populations, the Government of India has to take suitable measures for the livestock sector of the country.
Measures:
- Research and Development: The government shall focus on R&D in the livestock sector to increase livestock productivity to provide more benefits to small & marginal farmers. It will also help increase entrepreneurship in the agrarian economy of India.
- Marketing: Marketing is very essential to increase the export and demand of Indian livestock products inside and outside the country. Trade Policies like marketing have to be more effective for the promotion of various livestock products like eggs, fish, milk etc., and providing sufficient prices to farmers by reducing the influence of middlemen.
- Promoting Indigenous Breeds: Our indigenous breed of cattle needs to be promoted because most foreign breeds like cattle are not suitable for our climate and even provide low-quality milk. There are some exceptions like Jersey cows, but the overall introduction of foreign breeds has not been very successful. Therefore, indigenous breeds will help to achieve various objectives in one go.
- Sufficient Resources: Providing sufficient fodder and drinking water is the need of the hour to increase the productivity of livestock rearing in India, in the rain-shadow region. Especially during drought-like situations livestock are left at the mercy of God. These distressed living of animal livestock wealth need to be taken care of during tough times.
- Training: Necessary training and subsidies shall be provided to farmers to adopt livestock rearing as an alternate source of income.
- Skill development, like scientific management of weeds, intercropping which can provide nutritious fodder, increasing the productivity of animals, etc., in areas of animal rearing will give an advantage over the industry with improved supply chains, productivity, etc.
Important Initiatives by the Government:
- Rashtriya Gokul Mission: It aims to develop and conserve indigenous breeds of the bovine population. This is important to enhance milk production and to make it more remunerative to the farmers.
- National Livestock Mission: Its objective is to ensure quantitative and qualitative improvement in livestock production systems and capacity building of all stakeholders.
- National Artificial Insemination Programme: To suggest novel methods of bringing about impregnation in female breeds. Also, to prevent the spread of certain diseases which are genital, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the breed.
- National Cattle and Buffalo Breeding Project: To genetically upgrade important indigenous breeds on a priority basis with a focus on development and conservation.
- Animal Husbandry Startup Grand Challenge: To appreciate innovations coming from the villages to expand the dairy sector in India.
Thus, it is high time to give importance to and encourage the livestock industry in the country on a scientific basis. It has the potential to bring millions of populations out of poverty and increase the income of rural households by many folds. If this livestock industry takes its actual potential it will bring multiplier effects on the Indian economy.
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