Doubling Livestock Farmers Income by 2022: Veterinarians Perceptions and policy reflections
Channappagouda B1#., Anant Rao Desai2., Veeranna, K.C3., Vivek M Patil4 and Harisha, M2. 1Associate Professor and Head, Buffalo Research and Information Center, Doranahalli, Yadgir, Karnataka-585 223 2Assistant Professors, Veterinary Extension, KVAFSU, Bidar 3Registrar, Karnataka Veterinary Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Bidar 4Associate Professor and Head, Livestock Research and Information Center, Bidar, Karnataka # Corresponding Author Dr. Channappagouda Biradar Associate Professor and Head Buffalo Research and Information Center Shahapur Taluk, Yadagir District Karnataka State E- mail: channuvet@gmail.com Mobile: 09686282173 ABSTRACT
The livestock sector provides promising opportunities and is assumed to bring desired growth in farmers’ income, especially in less and poor endowed regions. Veterinarians’ opinion and perception about the prevailing field situation matters a lot in designing the livestock component of the policy, programmes and development activities aimed at doubling farmers’ income. Hence, this study was designed to understand the Veterinarians’ perceptions on issues to be addressed by the government, interventions required at farm and the forward as well as backward linkages required for enhancing the farmers’ income. A cross sectional survey was carried out using a semi-structured online Google Form amongst the veterinarians across south India mainly Karanataka and Andra Pradesh. The survey link was shared with all the professional contacts through e-mail, WhatsApp and other social media. A total of 120 responses received and majority of them are working with State Dept of Animal Husbandry.
Majority (84%) felt that doubling famers’ income by 2022 was a possibility, while the remaining has negated the entire idea. Large numbers of the respondents have perceived that effective market policy for livestock products (including scientific support price), infrastructure development (production, processing, storage and marketing) and developing cost-effective animal husbandry technologies are the major areas that the government need to focus on. Reducing cost of production, efficient utilization of farm waste and market linkage were the most appropriate interventions required at the farm level. Hence, the priorities and suggestions of the Veterinarians in the present study clearly indicate that new generation R & D needs greater focus on market linkage and economic profitability in order to enable the farmers to earn more from livestock.
Key Words: Veterinarian, livestock farmers, doubling income, 2022
INTRODUCTION
“I wish to double the income of farmers by 2022 when India will celebrate 75 years of its Independence”
- Prime Minister, Narendra Modi (Feb 28, 2016)
In the past, our development focus in agriculture and allied sector was mainly emphasized on raising agriculture/ livestock output, improving food and nutritional security, enhancing quality assets and technology development. The emphasis was always on production and productivity. Our earlier policies were usually farm-centric and not farmer-centric. As a result of green revolution, India’s food production multiplied by 3.7 times while the population multiplied by 2.55 times (Chand, 2017). In India food production has increased from 51 million tonnes to 273 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 2016-17 (Chand, 2017). On the other hand according to NSSO reports of 2012-13, monthly income of farmers was 6,426 Rs (Singh and Kumari, 2017). Further Dinani et. al., (2017) reported that average monthly income per capita of farmers was Rs. 3,844. In this ever increasing cost of living, this income is no where sufficient for farmers for leading a descent life. Though we are successful in increasing the production but failed to convert it into Income because of uncertainty in production (Natural Vagaries), Increased cost of production and market uncertainty. Hence, there is an urgent need to shift our development focus from farm centric to farmer centric and need to emphasize market led extension based on our earlier success stories.
Indian agriculture predominantly being mixed crop-livestock farming, livestock plays crucial role in rural economy as well as livelihood. 11th – V Year plan working group on animal husbandry and dairying highlights the fact that about 20.5 million people depend upon livestock for their livelihood. Livestock contributed 16 per cent to the income of small farm households as against an average of 14 percent for all rural households. Further, livestock sector contributes 4.11 per cent to national GDP and 25.6 per cent of total Agriculture GDP (Singh and Kumari, 2017). This sector which has never attained a negative growth in any of the years during the span of past 34 years (Saxena et al., 2017) is likely to emerge as an opportunity to double the farmers income by 2022 provided the various policy paralyses have been addressed at grass root level. In India, veterinarians are entrusted not only with animal health care but also with the responsibility of ensuring livelihood security of the rural poor. Thus, their opinion and perception about the prevailing field situation matters a lot in designing the livestock component of the policy, programmes and development activities aimed at doubling farmers’ income. Hence, this study was designed to understand the Veterinarians’ perceptions on issues to be addressed by the government and interventions required at farm level for doubling the livestock farmers’ income.
METHODOLOGY
The present study was carried out by using the exploratory research design coupled with cross sectional survey method. The data was collected through online google questionnaire. The survey link containing Google form was shared with all the professional contacts through e-mail and WhatsApp and received a total of 120 responses, mainly from South India and majority of them were working with State Department of Animal Husbandry (SDAH). The data were analyzed on point continuum and results were interpreted.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The data for this particular study was collected mainly on following aspects
- The areas that government needs to focus in order to double farmers income through livestock
- The appropriateness of different interventions at farm level for enhancing livestock based income.
- Areas that needs Governments immediate attention
Per usual table-1, the results revealed that veterinarians perceived market linkage and scientific support price (TS-330) as the prime area seeking the government immediate attention. Cost effective AH technologies (TS- 327) and infrastructure development (TS-323) were the other two prime areas in chronological order as identified by Veterinarians based on grass root level requirements for doubling the livestock farmers’ income. Interestingly, input supply management (TS-275), livestock information and data management (TS-274) and facilitation to private participation (TS-260) were the least favored areas by Veterinarians for governments’ immediate focus.
The results clearly indicate lack of market linkage, cost ineffectiveness of many present technologies and lack of quality infrastructure for livestock development as major constraints. Similar constraints were expressed by many researchers (Patel et al., 1978; Reddy et al., 1999; Ravikumar et al., 2007 and Channappagouda, B., et. al., 2016).
| Table-1: The areas that government needs to focus in order to double farmers income through livestock | ||||
| Areas of interventions | Extent of Focus | |||
| More Important | Important | Less Important | Total Score | |
| Capacity building | 70 | 45 | 5 | 305 |
| Livestock productivity | 79 | 37 | 4 | 315 |
| Efficient farm machinery | 53 | 57 | 10 | 283 |
| Cost effective AH technologies | 88 | 31 | 1 | 327 |
| Effective livestock EAS | 83 | 34 | 3 | 320 |
| Input supply management | 44 | 67 | 9 | 275 |
| Quality of Livestock products – Export orientation | 71 | 45 | 4 | 307 |
| Infrastructure development | 88 | 27 | 5 | 323 |
| Market linkage and scientific support price | 91 | 28 | 1 | 330 |
| Technical manpower development | 59 | 50 | 11 | 288 |
| livestock information and data management
with traceability |
48 | 58 | 14 | 274 |
| Revamping animal husbandry schemes
with focus on selection of right beneficiary |
80 | 26 | 14 | 306 |
| Facilitation private participation | 48 | 44 | 28 | 260 |
- Farm level interventions
Per usual table-2, it is revealed that reduction in cost of production (TS- 311) folloed by efficient utilization of farm waste (TS- 299) and Reducing the production losses and risks through insurance and effective health management (TS-296) were the three major interventions perceived by Veterinarians as most appropriate for doubling the livestock farmers’ income. Increasing production (TS-264) and Diversifying farming (TS-250) were the least preferred interventions by veterinarians. Veterinarians’ perception clearly indicates the required policy shift from production enhancement to reduction in cost of production, farm waste utilization and risk reduction.
| Table-2: Appropriateness of different farm level interventions for doubling livestock farmers income | ||||
| Farm level Intervention | Most Appropriate | Appropriate | Less Appropriate | Total Score |
| Increasing production (inducting high yielding animals, scientific management etc.,) | 64 | 16 | 40 | 264 |
| Reduction in cost of production | 92 | 7 | 21 | 311 |
| Value addition to Livestock products (processing) | 74 | 17 | 29 | 285 |
| Market linkage (marketing by farmers organisation, branding, packaging etc.,) | 80 | 13 | 27 | 293 |
| Reducing the post harvest losses and risk (insurance, health management) | 79 | 18 | 23 | 296 |
| Diversify farming (rearing different species etc.,) | 50 | 30 | 40 | 250 |
| Efficient utilization of farm waste (vermicompost, biogas, cow urine etc.,) | 83 | 13 | 24 | 299 |
CONCLUSION
The results revealed that the veterinarians were of the opinion to shift the development focus from production to cost reduction, waste utilization, market linkage and infrastructure development. Hence, our future policies should emphasize on market linkage at input level, production level and value addition & processing including retailing along with scientific price fixation to livestock commodities. Further, enough emphasis needs to be given for cost effective technologies development and quality infrastructure development.
REFERENCES
Chand R. (2017) Doubling of farmer’s income, Rational, Strategy, Prospect and action plan. Niti Policy Paper: 5- 19.
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Dinani O.P, Tyagi. R, Giri.A and Popat. D (2018) Role of livestock in doubling the farmer’s income national perspective and the way forward, International journal of science, environment and technology: 497-503.
Patel, R.K., Singh, C.B., Sharma, P.A. and Mahipal (1978) Constraints in transfer and adoption of new technology, ORP Progress report NDRI, Karnal pp. 117-119.
Ravikumar, S., Jagadeeswary, V. and Sasidhar, P.V.K. (2006) Constraints in adoption of dairy production technologies. Indian Veterinary Journal. 83: 1003-1004.
Reddy, K.V., Sashidhar, P. V.K and Reddy, C. R,(1999)Constraints and Suggestions in the Adoption of Dairy Production Technologies, J.Res,ANGRAU, 27(3):67-73.
Saxena, R., Singh, N.P., Choudhary, B. B., Balaji, S. J., Pau;, R. K., Ahuja, U., Joshi, D.m Kumar, R and Khan A (2017) Can Livestock Sector be the Game Changer in Enhancing the Farmers’ Income? Reinvesting Thrust with Special Focus on Dairy Sector, Agricultural Economics Research Review Vol. 30 (Conference Number) 2017 pp 59-76
Singh and Kumari B (2017). Importance of livestock sector in doubling of farmer’s income by 2022. Indian journal of economics and development. Pp. 136-140.
