Day 44 – Q 5. What significance do livestock hold for an average distressed farmer in India? Illustrate.
5. What significance do livestock hold for an average distressed farmer in India? Illustrate.
भारत में एक औसत संकटग्रस्त किसान के लिए पशुधन का क्या महत्व है? उदाहरण देकर स्पष्ट करें।
Introduction
Agriculture is one of the important sectors of Indian economy with about 50% of population depending on it for their source of income. Also it is one of the most suffering sector in terms of crop loss and market turbulences.
Body
Cry of Distress:
- The NSSO Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households (2013) shows that 52% of farming households are indebted, with rates as high as 89-92% in some States.
- The distress is mainly due to lack of compensation during drought and disasters, the failures of the crop insurance scheme, and the deficit due to prices falling below the announced Minimum Support Prices.
Diversification of sources of income for farmers is one of the few suggested solutions. Here, livestock plays an important role for a distress farmer.
Significance of livestock:
Livestock are domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce labor and commodities such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to those that are bred for consumption, while other times it refers only to farmed ruminants, such as cattle and goats.
Labour:
A distress farmer cannot afford mechanised farming. For him cattle provide the service of labour. They help in very crude form of mechanised farming for small and marginal farmers.
Reliable source of income:
Unlike farm crops, livestock do not easily suffer from monsoon failure or such other natural calamity. They continue to provide milk, eggs, etc. in almost all weather conditions. Every part of livestock carries economic importance such as leather, wool, meat, etc.
Reduces input cost:
Dung and other remnants of livestock act as green manure, a substitute to fertilisers. They also help in weed control without using chemicals or others costly and hazardous methods.
An asset:
Livestock are important asset for a distress farmer which can be encashed at any moment and may help him to come out of debt trap.
Nutritional security:
For a distressed farmer’s family, food provided by livestock is the only source of nutrition required for survival.
The livestock sector can offer significant opportunities for bolstering non-farm income. Though there are many steps taken by government such as bovine dairy development programs and GOBARDHAN program etc., but there are challenges which need to be addressed to make it more productive.
Way forward
- A national breeding policy is needed to upgrade the best performing indigenous breeds.
- Buffalo breeding ought to be given more attention, while poultry breeding should be focused on conservation.
- State governments should be encouraged to participate in national breeding policy implementation. Geographical information system-based analysis must be utilised to map production systems.
- Animal health care should become a priority, with greater investment in preventive health care.
- Private investment must also be encouraged. The government needs to create better incentive structures for investment in livestock.
- State governments should sponsor research and assessment of the market, along with highlighting investment potential.
Best Answer: Sreelakshmy vijayan uma
