Prospects of Goat farming and SWOT analysis
Deepandita Barman*1and Arunoday Das2,
*1Assistant Professor, Department of Livestock Production and Management, LCVSc, Assam Agricultural University, Joyhing, N Lakhimpur-787051, *Corresponding Author
2Assistant Professor, Department of ARGO, LCVSc, AAU, Joyhing, N Lakhimpur-787051
Prospects of Goat Farming in India
- Initial investment for starting goatary is lesser than dairy, piggery, poultry.
- Goat consumes less feed which is about one fifth of the consumption in cattle and buffalo.
- It does not compete with human beings for grains like pig and fowl. So feed cost is lesser.
- Goat is prolific animal which usually produces twin and some breeds even produce triple and quadruplet.
- Goat being hardy animal, disease incidence is very less in comparison to cattle, pig, fowl and hence health management cost is lesser.
- Goat milk is rich in certain amino acids Le. histidine, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, threonine; certain minerals i.e. sodium, iron, copper; certain vitamins Le., vitamin A, nicotinic acid and choline.
- Goat milk is being used to produce different products such as cheese, curd etc.
- Goat skin is of high values e.g. Skin form Bengal goat is of best quality in the world.
- Besides meat, milk, skin, hair is another byproduct obtained from goat, e.g. pashmina and mohair is valued high in international market due to its several uses.
- Faeces and urine of goat being rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium used in field for improving soil fertility and to increase productivity of crop.
- There is no prejudice about the consumption of goat meat. Above mentioned points indicate that goat is potential animal for economic growth and employment generation.
Disadvantage of goat farming: If goat farming is practised in extensive system, it may cause damage of crop and even soil errosion like all grazing animal e. g cattle, buffalo, sheep. Secondly milk consumption of goat is less due to bad smell.
SWOT Analysis in Goat Farming
Strengths:
▪ Low labour requirement.
▪ Goat is a multi-functional animal and plays a significant role in the economy and nutrition of landless, small and marginal farmers in the country.
▪ Goats can efficiently survive on available shrubs and trees in adverse harsh environment in low fertility lands where no other crop can be grown.
▪ The initial investment needed for Goat farming is low.
▪ No religious taboo against goat slaughter and meat consumption prevalent in the country.
▪ Goat milk is easy to digest.
▪ Goat creates employment to the rural poor besides effectively utilizing unpaid family labour.
▪ Goats are strong creatures that are able to resist various diseases.
▪ Since goats are relatively small in size, the facilities and amenities to support them are also minimal.
▪ Goats generally love being with humans and they are extremely docile.
▪ They have a high fertility rate achieving maturity with just 5 – 6 months. The probability of producing twins is high.
▪ Risk associated with drought is less in commercial goat farming compared to other livestock breeds.
▪ Goats are good instruments to enhance the health of the grazing land and minimize encroachment of bushes.
▪ Goat meat is a great appeal to the public because of the health benefits it provides to its consumers. It is extremely low in fat, cholesterol and calories. This is good for people who have low energy diet scheme.
Opportunities:
▪ High and ready market of goat meat.
▪ Confirmed ever increasing Market price.
Weakness
▪ Large-scale, organized goat farming has not yet become a successful venture in the country.
▪ High mortality rate of goat kids
Threats
▪ The goat population is increasing & according to the government census, declining grazing land poses a big challenge to the industry.
