Goat Production by Landless and Small Scale Farmers in North Indian Plains

H.P.S.Arya and Mahesh Chander

Division of Etension Education
Indian !eterinary "esearch Institute# I$atna%ar# &P#
India
A'S("A)(
Small ruminants es*ecially %oats contribute to the livelihoods of millions of rural *oor in
most of the develo*in% countries of the Asia and Africa# +here ,-. of the +orld/s %oat
*o*ulation is concentrated and also the ma0ority of +orld/s *oor live. Goat *roduction has
+itnessed ecellent %ro+th over the years des*ite a ne%ative cam*ai%n a%ainst it for its
*erceived adverse im*act on ve%etation# forest and %ra$in% lands. Small farmers and
landless a%ricultural laborers are increasin%ly relyin% on %oats for meetin% their cash
re1uirements. (his micro level study done in si selected villa%es of the north Indian state
of &ttar Pradesh has confirms the fact that %oat is one of the most suitable livestoc2
s*ecies for landless and small farmers +ho for variety of reasons can not maintain lar%e
ruminants li2e co+ and buffaloes. Small ruminants are +ell inte%rated in the farmin%
systems of the small and mar%inal farmers of India +ho find in %oats a vast *otential for
their socio3economic u*liftment. 4omen +ere found to be *articularly more inclined
to+ards %oats +hile men +ere more focused on lar%e animals. Goats offer a stron%
o**ortunity to develo*ment a%encies for suitable interventions includin% micro credit#
etension# technical and mar2etin% su**ort es*ecially to +omen# landless and small
farmers.
IN("5D&)(I5N
Goat *roduction has flourished in *oorly endo+ed areas li2e dry $ones and the
mountainous areas in develo*in% countries of Asia and Africa +here over ,-. of the
+orld %oat *o*ulation is concentrated. Goats are reared mainly by *oorest of the *oor of
the *oor develo*in% countries. In India too# the small and mar%inal farmers# includin%
landless a%ricultural laborers# mostly in non %reen revolution areas +here irri%ation
facilities are *oorly develo*ed# *rominently rear %oats 6"e2ib# 7,,89. :any macro level
studies have confirmed that %oats are im*ortant for the *eo*le livin% in dry areas and
mountainous re%ions. Also# it is no+ +ell documented that %oat *roduction can be an
im*ortant tool to ameliorate the conditions of *oor +omen in develo*in% countries# thus#
bein% seen as source of +omen/s emanci*ation by the develo*ment a%encies 6Sinn;
<et$is and )hen# 7,,,9.
Goat *o*ulation +itnessed =8.7. chan%e bet+een 7,,> and 7,,? at a %lobal level and
the maimum chan%e 6=@A.9 has been in Asian countries. 5ver the last 7- years# the
number of %oats has increased by almost ->. at +orld level# +hereas# shee* decreased
by B. and cattle increased by only ,.. (hus# %oat has emer%ed as a ma0or livestoc2
s*ecies that is enormously risin% in number 6:orand3Fehr and 'oya$o%lu# 7,,,;
Devendra# @>>79.
In India# durin% the last B> years# the %oat *o*ulation rose by 7B>.. Goat *o*ulation in
India has increased at a faster rate than that of other s*ecies of farm animals. In 7,-@#
there +ere BA.> million %oats# +hich has risen no+ to 7@C.> million 67A.>8 . of the
+orld/s %oat *o*ulation9 ma2in% India number t+o in the +orld ran2in% and number one
in %oat mil2 *roduction 6htt*DEE+++.a**s.fao.or%9. (he National )ommission on
A%riculture 6N)A# 7,A?9 in India had recommended the reduction in %oat *o*ulation on
the %rounds of environmental im*lications of %oat rearin% on de%radation of forest and
%ra$in% lands. (he *henomenal increase in %oat *o*ulation des*ite N)A
recommendations a%ainst it# is e*lained by the im*ortance of %oats for the rural *eo*le
in India. In India# the contribution of livestoc2 sector to Gross Domestic Product 6GDP9
is risin% thou%h the contribution of a%ricultural sector in %eneral is +itnessin% a declinin%
trend. In such a situation# %oats are %oin% to be even more im*ortant source of livelihood
for many more *eo*le in comin% years and# thus# deserve %reater attention at both the
micro and macro level. (he current study bein% a *art of a broader study on livestoc2
*roduction systems +as underta2en mainly to a**raise the role of %oats for small scale
farmers includin% the landless rural *o*ulation in *redominant cro*3 livestoc2 mied
farmin% systems o*eratin% in India.
:E(H5D5L5GF
(he study +as conducted in 'areilly district 6Latitudes @8.7>
>
N and @8.->
>N
and
Lon%itudes A8.-8
>
E and A,.BA
>
E9 of a north Indian State 6&ttar Pradesh9 durin% 7,,,3
@>>7. (he data +ere %athered on dynamics of %oat *roduction from *rimary as +ell as
secondary sources. A door to door survey of 7A@7 households +as carried out to find out
the herd com*osition and association of livestoc2E%oats o+ned +ith land holdin%# caste
etc. in si selected villa%es. A "a*id "ural A**raisal 6""A9 +as conducted in t+o
villa%es +ith ?B@ livestoc2 o+nin% households selected for more focused assessment of
the situation. Partici*atory "ural A**raisals 6P"As9 +ere also underta2en +ith the family
members of %oat o+nin% households so as to assess *roductivity# %ender roles# disease
*atterns# mar2etin% behavior and distribution of %oats alon% various dimensions
es*ecially caste# landholdin% and %ender. :atri ran2in% for choice of livestoc2 s*ecies
*referred by different cate%ories of farmers# *roblem cause dia%rams# constraints
analysis# *roductivity *otential of various s*ecies in different seasons#
mortalityEmorbidity *attern# resource ma*s etc +ere develo*ed usin% the ""AEP"A tools
+hich further hel*ed in a**raisal of the %oat *roduction system in the area under study.
Ho+ever# the results are focused here only on association of %oats +ith landholdin% and
caste# +hich have si%nificant im*lications for livestoc2 *roduction in India.
"ES&L(S
'areilly district is densely *o*ulated 6?88 *ersonsEs1 <m9; ?A. of the *o*ulation is
concentrated in rural areas involved mainly +ith a%riculture and animal husbandry. (he
total livestoc2 *o*ulation in the district is 8,,#7,8# out of +hich 7?#B,8 are crossbred
@
cattle# @,>#-?8 local cattle# BB7#-A8 buffaloes# B,@? shee*# 77?#>A? are %oats# @,#--@
*i%s. (he avera%e mil2 *roduction *er day for co+# buffalo and %oat is @.--# C.C- and >.-
<%s# res*ectively. (he lo+ *roductivity may be e*lained in terms of lo+3 in*ut lo+
3out*ut system of livestoc2 *roduction *revailin% by and lar%e in India# lo+ *roductivity
*otential of native breeds# acute shorta%e of feed and fodder# *oor livestoc2 health
covera%e# non commercial orientation of livestoc2 2ee*ers and *oor mar2etin% and
etension su**ort available to Indian farmers.
&ttar Pradesh +ith 7C#77>#>>> %oats 67,,@ )ensus9# is the third lar%est state in India#
after "a0asthan and 'ihar# in terms of %oat *o*ulation. 4hereas# %oat is the third ma0or
livestoc2 s*ecies 6*oultry ecluded9 after cattle and buffaloes reared in 'areilly district.
(here +ere 77?#>A? %oats in the district. (he total %oat *o*ulation across the si selected
villa%es +as B8, 6(able 79. Goat command C
rd
*lace 6B
th
if *oultry too is ta2en into
account9 in the study area# +here# buffalo and cattle +ere havin% *rominent *ositions
6(able3 79.
(he door3to3door survey of all the si selected villa%es +as done to collect data on
livestoc2 *rofile 6(able 7 to C9. 5ut of the si villa%es# t+o villa%es namely "ithora and
<hata +ere selected for more focused study on %oat *roduction system# since these t+o
villa%es had maimum number of %oats and hi%hest concentration of %oats# res*ectively.
5n the basis of the door to door survey# the %eneral descri*tion of these villa%es in terms
of livestoc2 o+nershi* in %eneral# is %iven in (able 7# +hile (able @ and C describe the
distribution of %oats across the different caste %rou*s and land holdin% 6u* to 7haD
:ar%inal; 73@ haD Small; G @haD Lar%e farmer9. (he data *resented in tables @ and C %ive a
fairly clear idea ho+ %oat *roduction is centered around small 673@ ha land9 and mar%inal
farmers 6u* to 7 ha land9 as also the other bac2+ard classes amon% the Hindus includin%
the :uslims +ho are the ma0ority %oat 2ee*ers. In <hata villa%e for instance# all -B %oats
+ere o+ned by the other bac2+ard castes 65')s9# +hile livestoc2 o+nin% families +ere
only 7 and B from General and S)ES( cate%ories# res*ectively.
In "ithora villa%e# out of @BB %oats# @@C +ere o+ned by 5')s# +hereas# S)ES( 6Socio
economically do+ntrodden# constitutionally cate%ori$ed and *rotected by the la+9 o+ned
7- %oats and ? %oats +ere o+ned by farmers belon%in% to %eneral caste cate%ory. (he
5')s +ere the lar%est %rou* havin% BB7 families follo+ed by S)ES( 6,@ families9 and
%eneral caste 6@C livestoc2 o+nin% families9. (he 5')s# +hich included :uslims# +ere
the ma0ority %oat 2ee*ers across the selected villa%es; thus# %oat is si%nificant to them to
su**lement their family income. 'esides# %oats a**eared to be very si%nificant for the
landless as they had maintained a maimum number of %oats 6(able @9. (here cannot be
any better eam*le of resourcelessness than bein% landless in a farmin% contet# +ith
limited o**ortunities of diversification for im*rovin% the 1uality of life. In the study area#
such *eo*le have seen in %oat a *otential for su**lementin% their family income over
their earnin%s from the +a%es as a%ricultural laborers.
C
5ther %eneral findin%s of the study can be summari$ed as follo+sD
7. :ostly :uslims and landless laborers 2e*t %oats. :uslims +ere included in the 5ther
'ac2+ard )lass 65')9 cate%ory 6cate%ori$ation accordin% to economic status9 +hich
o+ned B@? %oats 68A.7B.9# out of the total B8, %oats in the selected villa%es.
@. (he farmers belon%in% to %eneral castes
H
6Hi%her caste Hindus9 in %eneral# had less
number of livestoc2 and still less they had %oats.
C. (he 5')s amon% the Hindus in the area had least *references for %oats.
B. Small# mar%inal farmers and landless laborers +ere the %rou* havin% interest in %oat
2ee*in%. (he area under forest +as ne%li%ible in the district 6C7Cha9 as +ell as in the
studied villa%es. 4hereas# the *roimity to forest *ositively affect %oat rearin%.
-. Goats +ere reared mainly for meat *ur*ose and hectic activity +as seen re%ardin% the
saleE*urchase of %oats durin% the :uslim festivals li2e Eid.
?. Goats are treated as ready cash as they could be dis*osed off easily# locally and at a
reasonable *rice.
A. 4omen +ere ta2in% more interest in nurture and even in the sale at home as +ell as at
bi+ee2ly Ihaat/ 6local mar2et9 at nearby to+n 6"ithora9# +hile children and a%ed
+omen ta2e %oats to %ra$in%.
8. Goats often cause conflict +hen these stray in the cro* fields of other farmers. (his is
one of the deterrents for %oat rearin% es*ecially for landless and small scale farmers.
,. (he families +hich had more number of children +ere more inclined to 2ee* %oats as
the children could be used for ta2in% %oats to %ra$in% on fallo+ land# harvested fields#
alon%side roads and other uncultivated areas.
(able 7D Livestoc2 *o*ulation in the villa%es under study
!illa%es 'uffalo )attle Goat Poultry Pi% Horse (otal
'handsar @C86B?9 7-@6@,9 ??67C9 ?>6779 -679 76>9 -@@
<hata @@86-@9 7@,6@, -B 67@9 @76-9 A6@9 @6>9 B77
"ithora -8@6C>9 CBA6789 @BB67C9 A>,6CA9 CB6@9 7C679 7,@,
:ohan*ur 8>6C@9 ??6@?9 @86779 A-6C>9 @679 > @-7
<ala*ur @C@6??9 8@6@B9 C679 @76?9 776C9 C679 C-C
:udia
Ahmadna%ar
CC-6-B9 ?B67>9 ,B67-9 77867,9 B679 76>9 ?7?
(otal 7?,-6B79 8B76@>9 B8,67@9 7>>B6@B9 ?C6@9 @>679 B77@
6Fi%ures in *arenthesis are *ercenta%e9
H
A caste is a social category whose members are assigned a permanent status within a given
social hierarchy and contacts are restricted accordingly (Lundberg et al. 1968). In India the
!indu society is strati"ied on the basis o" #aste $ystem. %here are thousands o" castes and sub&
castes presently e'isting in India but broadly they are classi"ied into three( the )eneral caste
*ther +ac,ward #aste (*+#) and the $cheduled #aste ($#)- $cheduled %ribe ($%). Lineage is
the only criterion in determining the caste o" an individual in the !indu society.
B
(able @D Landholdin% !s 5+nershi* of Goats
Landholdin% Livestoc2
o+nin% families
6.9
Families not
o+nin%
livestoc2
Goats o+ned
6.9
Av. Goat
*o*ulation *er
livestoc2
o+nin%
household
Landless
6> ha9
:ar%inal
6&* to 7ha9
Small
673@ ha9
Lar%e
6G @ ha9
B8> 6BB.879
C88 6C?.@@9
7>@ 6,.-@9
7>7 6,.BC9
B77
@7-
7-
>,
C7, 6?-.@C9
7BA 6C>.>?9
@> 6B.>89
>C 6>.?79
>.??B
>.CA8
>.7,?
>.>@,
(otal 7>A7 ?-> B8, >.B-?
(able CD )aste !s 5+nershi* of %oats
)aste Livestoc2
o+nin% families
6.9
Families not
o+nin%
livestoc2
Goats o+ned
6.9
Av. Goat
*o*ulation *er
livestoc2
o+nin%
household
General
5')
S)ES(
B, 6B.-A9
8?C 68>.-A9
7-, 67B.8B9
?@
BA7
77A
7- 6C.>?9
B@? 68A.7@9
B8 6,.879
>.C>?
>.B,C
>.C>7
(otal 7>A7 ?-> B8, >.B-?
(he %oat *roduction system as a *art of the eistin% broad cro*3livestoc2 mied farmin%
system of the selected villa%es is further described in the follo+in% sections.
'reedin%
Indiscriminate breedin% is *revalent in the area. No efforts seem to have made to im*rove
the stoc2 throu%h selective breedin% or by introducin% hi%h *otential breeds. (he %oats
+ere small si$ed# colored 6+hiteEblac2Ebro+n9# sho+in% no s*ecific breed characters.
(he 2iddin% ta2es *lace t+ice a year. 5ne 2id is usually born at I
st
2iddin% follo+ed by
t+inin% in subse1uent 2iddin%. Goats of bi%%er body si$e are usually brou%ht from
outside 6Etah# Eta+ah and :athura9 area for sale *rior to Eid but the %ood stoc2 is not
maintained by the farmers for lon%er duration. (his may be due to non availability of feed
and fodder +ith the *oor %oat 2ee*ers. :ale %oats are ta2en better care of than the
-
female ones as these fetch %ood *rice to the o+ners. :any do not li2e %oat mil2; hence#
less *riority is attached to mil2 traits of the %oats.
Feedin%
Feedin% seems to be the most ne%lected as*ect in %oat *roduction in the area under study.
Goats +ere maintained on %ra$in% in harvested fields# alon% the roadside and on other
uncultivatedE barren lands. (he natural ability of %oat to eat a +ide variety of ve%etation
and +aste has been# in fact# a bi% motivatin% factor for small# mar%inal and landless
laborers to rear small number of %oats. Stall3feedin% in %oats +as very limited. She %oats
are %iven 2itchen +aste and the males are %iven inferior 1uality %rains and %rams for
fattenin% *ur*oses. )hildren and old members ta2e %oats for %ra$in% in nearby fields in
the mornin% and also in the afternoon. (hose households# +hich do not have children or
a%ed members in their families# hardly 2ee* %oats.
Disease )ontrol
(he farmers did not re*ort disease in %oats as *roblem. Since %oat *roduction is only a
frin%e activity for most of the farmers# the health *roblems of %oats +ere hardly *aid any
attention. Ho+ever# to find out the ty*es of health *roblems in local %oats# the
information maintained in the re%ister of Indian !eterinary "esearch Institute run +ee2ly
clinic at "ithora +as also studied. (his revealed that %oats suffered mainly from +orm
load# man%e# mineral deficiency# anoreia# conta%ious ecythyma# diarrhea# mastitis etc.
:ana%ement
Goats do not *lay a si%nificant role in the day3to3day life of local farmers com*ared to the
buffaloes and cattle. (his may be due to the fact that the study area is +ell endo+ed +ith
fertile soil# irri%ation facilities# +ell connected by mettled road# inhabited by farmers
belon%in% to Fadav and <urmi castes +ho consider it lo+ly to rear %oats. :oreover# the
bi% ma0ority of the farmers in the area +ere ve%etarian. Fet# %oats are considered by many
as a ready cash in the times of immediate need E financial crisis# since# it find almost
ready mar2et all round the year. Goats are o+ned by and lar%e by the small E mar%inal
farmers and landless laborers# +ho o+in% to limitations of s*ace and %ra$in% area# can
not maintain more than C3B %oats at their homesteads. Housin% and %ra$in% seems to be a
bi% constraint in %oat husbandry for the local *oor farmers. Its +omen mainly +ho ta2e
interest in %oat rearin% as the men %enerally concentrate on lar%e animals. 4omen find it
a *otential source of earnin% money eclusively for their *ersonal needs as they could
meet their *ersonal e*enses li2e in buyin% ornaments# cosmetics# toys and eatables for
children etc +ith the occasional sale of %oats. As such# they do ta2e care of %oats as their
*ersonal belon%in% or *oc2et money. 4omen es*ecially from :uslim and socio
economically +ea2er sections +ere seen increasin%ly in the by3 +ee2ly haat 6local
mar2et) sellin% %oats but not any other s*ecies# +hich +ere bein% sold by the men only.
Else+here in the +orld too# +omen and children tend to be more carin% for %oats 6Sinn;
<et$is and )hen# 7,,,9. (he ban2 officials in "ithora to+n informed that farmers never
a**roached them for loans to buy %oats# +hereas# loans +ere sou%ht for buyin% cattle and
?
buffaloes. (his indicates the *ossibility of suitable interventions includin% micro credit to
+omen for %oat husbandry that +ill lead to em*o+erment and emanci*ation of +omen.
)5N)L&SI5N
Goat as a source of su**lementin% household income is %ettin% increasin% attention
es*ecially amon% the landless a%ricultural laborers and small and mar%inal farmers
mostly belon%in% to :uslim and other mar%inali$ed %rou*s. 4omen are increasin%ly
findin% it as a *otential source of earnin% cash income to meet their *ersonal
re1uirements li2e buyin% ornaments# cloths etc. since the men mostly concentrate on
lar%e animals and *oc2et the earnin%s for other needs of family. (he :uslim festival of
Eid is one im*ortant factor for rearin% %oats in the area as a lar%e number of %oats are
reared for sacrifice durin% this festival and rural *eo*le find it economically very
re+ardin% to rear %oats for sale. (he %oat *o*ulation is li2ely to %et a further boost once
the culinary *references of other communities li2e Hindus +ho are in ma0ority chan%e in
favor of non ve%etarian foods. (he %oats of %ood *roductive *otential are li2ely to be
introduced in the area once the local demand rises o+in% to increasin% a+areness and
industriali$ation. (he landless# small and mar%inal farmers are %radually reco%ni$in%
*otential of %oat as a lo+ cost solution to resourcelessness. (he lar%e animals do not fit
+ell into their household and infrastructural *aradi%ms and %oat has little re1uirements#
thus# it is %ettin% *o*ular +ith advancin% times.
Goats are a hi%hly attractive asset for *oor +omen in India as also in the area under study.
Fet land# credit and etension *olicy in many states in India effectively discriminate
a%ainst %oat3 o+ners# on the %rounds that %oats are *articularly dama%in% to environment
6)on+ay et al# @>>@9. (his anti*athy of develo*ment a%encies es*ecially +ithin the
domain of %overnment in the name of environmental *rotection should chan%e since there
is no definite evidence to *rove that %oats *ose a threat to the environment. Instead#
technical# etension and mar2etin% su**ort should be *rovided so as to ma2e %oat
*roduction a *rofitable enter*rise for all sections of society irres*ective of caste# creed#
land holdin% etc. (he tradition bound communities currently not rearin% %oat thou%h
economically *oor should be motivated throu%h educational and incentive based
develo*mental interventions to ta2e u* %oat husbandry for their u*liftment. &se of %oat
mil2 also should be *romoted amon% the local *eo*le# and stall feedin% needs
encoura%ement. Government a%encies and NG5s have to *lay a vital role in these efforts.
"EFE"EN)ES
)on+ay# (im; :oser# )aroline; Norton# Andy and Farrin%ton# John 6@>>@9. "i%hts and
Livelihoods A**roachesD E*lorin% *olicy dimensions. 5DI Natural "esources
Pers*ectives# Number A8# :ay# London# *. ?
Devendra# ). 6@>>79. Small ruminantsD Im*eratives for *roductivity enhancement#
im*roved livelihoods and rural %ro+th3 a revie+. Asian3Australian Journal of Animal
Sciences# 7B# 7># 7B8C37B,?.
A
Lundber%# G.A.; Schra%# ).).; Latsen# 5.N. and )alton# 4.". 67,?89. Sociolo%y# B
th
Edition. Ne+ For2# Har*er Press.
:orand 3 Fehr# P and 'oya$o%lu# J. 67,,,9. Present state and future outloo2 of the small
ruminant sector. Small "uminant "esearch# CB# @-,3@?,.
"e2ib# A. 67,,89. Gra$in% resources and livestoc2 *roductivity +ith s*ecial reference to
%oat *roduction. Indian Journal of Animal Sciences# ?8# 8 6S*ecial Issue9# 8B?38B8.
Sinn# ".; <et$is# J and )hen# (. 67,,,9. (he role of +omen in the shee* and %oat sector.
Small "uminant "esearch# CB# @-,3@?,.
)orres*ondin% Author )ontact Information
:ahesh )hander# Division of Etension Education# Indian !eterinary "esearch Institute#
I$atna%ar3 @BC 7@@# &P# INDIA# PhoneD =,7 -87 BB> C,765ffice9# =,7 -87 BBA 7?C
6Home9# FaD =,7 -87 BBA @8B# maheshKivri.u*.nic.in# mahesh?BKemail.com# Small
Farm diversification and com*etitiveness
8