Principles and Techniques of Veterinary and AH Extension

GOAT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES 

• Despite various adverse comments about the impact of goat rearing on the flora, the number of goats in fact has gone up in recent years. Considerable size of rural community, especially women farmers and landless labourers are rearing one ortwo goats. This traditional mini husbandry practices still has its roots throughout rural India because the goats are the poor man’s cows.
• They give milk and also meet the farmer’s timely needs through selling of kids.
• They are a sort of money-spinners to the poor people. Rural poor below the poverty line are given assistance for purchase of goats. Insurance cover and fodder development are provided to promote goat rearing under various rural development programmesl ike IRDP, SGSY, NWDPRA, Ambedkar Videsh Rojgar Yojna and DANIDA project.
• During the ninth plan period, instead of increasing the goat population,emphasis was made on productivity per animal, organized marketing and prevention of emerging new diseases .