Principles and Techniques of Veterinary and AH Extension

ROLE OF SHEEP AND GOAT IN INDIAN ECONOMY

• Like cattle husbandry in India goat and sheep husbandry play an important role in rural economy. Both the animals have been popularly described as mortage lifters of India.
• The sheep population is 71.56 million (5 per cent of world’s population) and the goat population is 140.54 million (20 percent of the global population) as per 2007 census (proviional).
• Goat meat occupies 37 per cent of the total meat produced in the country and goat milk occupies 3.2 per cent of the total milk produced.
• As per 2007 census sheep wool production was 43.2 million kgs and mutton production was 4.0 million tonnes .
• Raw hides and skins of sheep and goat exported  during 2009-10 were 1630.53 tonnes which accounted for a value of 3684.14 lakhs.