Dr Ishfaq Jamal
We may have plethora of success stories around about the success of many progressive dairy farmers,entrepreneurs and other educated youth from several educational backgrounds excelling in dairy industry as big corporate houses are foraying in dairy farming,but in an agrarian economy the impact of dairy in poverty alleviation, employment generation, nutritional security and gender equity as a main or subsidiary economic activity for common people needs to be focused on. Let’s have a bull’s eye on, how dairying has a momentous role in economy of a rural household. Animal husbandry as a subsidiary to agriculture has never got a well deserved attention of policy makers and different governments. It’s uncapped potential has not been realized and utilized . In rural India more than 70% of households own livestock, these are mostly small and marginal farmers. Milking cattle of a good genetic worth and optimum production level can bring a significant change in the life of an average farmer. A part from providing adequate animal protein to his family in the form of milk and milk products, the surplus can be sold in market thus acting as a subsidiary source of income to his family. It doesn’t need any extra labor to rear a single cow at home.If male member of a family is involved in other routine works even a women can easily raise a cow. In India over three-fourths of the labour in livestock comprises women. Livestock sector plays a significant role in rural gender equity. An unfortunate trend in our valley is that even on a slight upward shift in economic status of a family, people immediately do away with their livestock, even if it is a single cow . The household consumption demand for milk and milk products has highest share in consumption expenditure on food. An average family spends monthly around fourthousand rupees on dairy and dairy products which is a huge burden on a family at borderline of economic transition from below poverty level to above poverty level.
A part from having fresh and quality milk and milk products at your disposal, your cow will always add to your good economics whatever the global economic conditions are. It will always be a huge economic for a farmer if raised on scientific lines.
If the same family rears a cow, apart from saving the above amount, the income from surplus milk that is sold in market would be sufficient to bear the costs for feed, fodder and other requirements of the animal. If we look at the figures and different economic survey reports, people involved in animal husbandry hardly experience extreme poverty. Livestock especially dairy animals act as a cushion against trapping in poverty. Even landless laborers derive the benefit from animal husbandry. Due to lack of quality feed and fodder, animals aren’t able to reach optimum production levels thus drastically affecting the production potential. The extension of kissan credit card scheme to animal husbandry wherein around 33 to 40 thousand of loan per cow on subsidized interest rates is given to dairy farmers for rearing of cow can bring a significant change in the lives of dairy farmers if the amount is spent on raising of these animals. It is equally true that Scarcity of quality breeds , fast declining grazing land as well as poor feed and fodder resources has impacted negatively on livestock sector and lead to a drift of some rural families away from livestock sector. But with advance in technology and efforts of department of Animal husbandry laurels are being achieved in different parts of valley. Artificial insemination program has been a success. The same farmer who once reared cows producing 2 liters of milk is now having quality breeds producing more than ten liters of daily milk. Dairying has an ample potential in reducing poverty and improving rural welfare. There is a need to change the mindset. Rather than getting rid of livestock every rural household should have at least one cow. A part from having fresh and quality milk and milk products at your disposal, your cow will always add to your good economics whatever the global economic conditions are. It will always be a huge economic for a farmer if raised on scientific lines.
( The author is a freelancer . Views are his own)
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