Goats are known as ‘poor man’s cow. Goats contribute to the livelihoods of millions of rural poor in South Asia where 29% of the world’s goat population is concentrated. Please subscribe to our channel
Goat is an ideal animal species for farming in the rainfed regions where crop
production is uncertain, and rearing large ruminants is hampering because of
acute feed and fodder scarcity. Goat rearing has distinct economic and
managerial advantages over other livestock species because of its less initial
investment requirement, low input requirement, higher prolificacy, early
sexual maturity and easy in marketing.
Goats can efficiently survive on available shrubs and trees in unfavorable environment. In pastoral societies of south Asian region, goats are kept as a source of additional income and as an insurance against income shocks of crop failure. In addition the rural poor who cannot afford to maintain a cow or a buffalo find goat as the best alternative source of supplementary income and milk. Owing to their greater socio-economic relevance, the growth in goat population in south Asia has been increasing.
For this reason , Small and marginal farmers as well as landless, particularly women are increasingly relying on goat keeping for their socioeconomic upliftment.
Goat is well integrated in the farming systems of the small and marginal farmers of South Asia due to low capital requirement, easy
handling and ability to adopt in versatile environmental conditions.
Goat rearing can offer more opportunities to the developmental agencies for their further intervention in micro credit, extension and marketing support
especially to rural women, landless and small farmers.
Goat production has flourished in poorly endowed areas viz. dry zones and
the mountainous areas in the developing countries of Asia and Africa, where
over 95% of the world goat population is concentrated.
Over the last 15 years, the number of goats has increased by almost 50% at world level, whereas, cattle population has increased by 9% only, but the sheep population has decreased by 4%.
In spite of having potential of good economic returns from goat rearing,
income of goat farmers is at low level. There are a number of causes for such a situation. The important cause is that potentially of goat in South Asian countries has never been properly recognized by the policy makers and scientists though South Asia possess almost one-third of the world’s goat population.
The productivity of goats under the prevailing traditional
production system is low mainly because of feed scarcity and lack of
adoption of improved technologies and management practices.
However, to harness this potential, the productivity and profitability of existing goat production system needs to be improved substantially.
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