Small Ruminants Sustain Livelihoods in Rainfed Areas - GoI-SAPPLPP multi-stakeholder consultations on ‘Strengthening Small Ruminant Based Livelihoods’ underscore synergies between livestock and land-based livelihoods

The significance of goat and sheep in sustaining livelihoods and supporting food security in arid and semi-arid rural localities has never been more appreciated than in recent times when yields from agriculture are unpredictable and declining. To highlight the significance of this crucial agriculture-animal husbandry linkage among policy makers, and advocate greater budgetary allocation for promotion of small livestock-based rural livelihoods in rainfed regions, the National Livestock Mission, Government of India has facilitated organization of regional workshops around the country, in close collaboration with the South Asia Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Programme, which is funded jointly by the NDDB and FAO of the UN.

Pashu Sakhis from SAPPLPP pilot projects in Madhya Pradesh at the Workshop in Bhopal, September 14, 2015 (from left to right Neema Bai, Suraj Bai, Rameela Ben and Dittu Parmar)

Neelkanth Mama from Belgaum district voicing shepherds' concerns over excessive use of chemical pesticides in agriculture

A total of 15 states have been covered so far, under four regional consultations at Jaipur (May 23, 2015); Bhubaneswar (July 24, 2015); Bengaluru (August 31, 2015) and Bhopal (September 14, 2015). Apart from participation of stakeholders from across the spectrum – elected people’s representatives, women community animal health workers and para-vets, state AH&VS officials, senior bureaucrats, private sector personnel, and NGO representatives, the most notable feature of these events has been the participation of livestock-keepers and their representatives. A fifth workshop covering five northern Indian states is proposed to take place at Chandigarh in October 2015.

Partnering institutions Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bikaner and Centre for microFinance, CmF spared no effort in initiating the first regional consultation at Jaipur, covering two western Indian states – Rajasthan and Gujarat. Sheep and goat-rearing are traditional occupations of communities living in the most arid regions of the two states, but the numbers and return from it are declining. Nationally, the population of goat and sheep stands at 200 million, of which more than 15% belong to Rajasthan and over 3% are in Gujarat. An important recommendation of the workshop, on which the GoI has initiated action, was that livestock keepers’ children be given additional weightage for admission to degree courses in veterinary sciences.

Registration and improvement of six indigenous goat and sheep breeds from Odisha has been recommended by the GoI to the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, following the workshop at Bhubaneswar in July, where the issue of ‘undescribed’ breeds was raised by officials from Odisha animal husbandry department and scientists from Orissa University of Agriculture & Technology (OUAT). The workshop was organized by the department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Regional Centre for Development Cooperation, Bhubaneswar.

The southern regional workshop at Bengaluru in August, hosted by the Karnataka Sheep and Wool Development Board, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services, Government of Karnataka, and the Foundation for Ecological Security, discussed the status of small ruminant development policies and programmes in the five south Indian states; there was strong participation from members of the Rainfed Livestock Network, who shared their research findings and recommendations with the policy-makers from the state and central governments. The DADF, GoI agreed to the delegates’ request to propose a framework for development of livestock markets, which would be shared with the state governments for formulation of appropriate policies and programmes in respect of marketing of livestock products.

Participants engaged in small group discussions at the workshop in Bhubaneswar, July 24, 2015

Remarkable improvement in returns from poultry and goat-rearing were cited as impacts of SAPPLPP pilot projects on promoting backyard poultry and goat-rearing in Madhya Pradesh; interventions for reducing mortality and morbidity rates supported by trained Pashu Sakhis were widely welcome and in great demand by livestock-rearing households, according to Sampark and AKRSP(I), partners of SAPPLPP. In addition to increased returns, population of goats had increased by 105% and of poultry by 49% over the course of a year in the project villages. The government of Madhya Pradesh, organizer of the central region workshop, has started an e-vet programme for provision of veterinary services to rearers through Go-Sevaks in remote rural areas, and it was suggested that the mechanism be adopted for Pashu Sakhis as well, whose services are primarily directed towards goat and poultry.

Shri Sanjay Bhoosreddy, Joint Secretary, Administration and National Livestock Mission, DADF, GoI, addressing the participants at the Jaipur regional workshop, May 23, 2015