The Hindu : Other States / Haryana News : Santhals to adopt scientific dairy farming

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Thursday, May 06, 2004

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Other States - Haryana

Santhals to adopt scientific dairy farming

KARNAL, MAY 5. Santhal tribe of Dumka district of Jharkhand, who were rearing cattle and buffaloes, as draft animals for the past many years, would soon adopt scientific dairy farming practices for using these animals for milk production.

This tribal population in the district, which remained engaged in small-scale agriculture entrepreneurship, is being persuaded and educated by dairy extension experts to improve their socio-economic conditions by adopting scientific dairy farming.

Dairying has immense potential in the Dumka district for improving the economic condition of the Santhals, said Nagendera Sharma, Director of the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) here.

He said that the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Dumka, which is a society of key stakeholders involved in agricultural activities for sustainable agriculture development in that district approached NDRI and accordingly a special three days exposure visit for 20 Santhal tribal farmers to this Institute was planned to impart them the scientific information on dairy farming.

Sharma said that unlike the mixed farming systems prevalent in Punjab and Haryana state, majority of the Santhals of Dumka keep cattle and buffaloes for draft purposes.

He added that technologies developed at this Institute need be disseminated amongst this tribal population so that they could get enough milk for their family consumption and also for sale which would provide them nutritional food and additional income.

He stressed that the state dairy extension agencies should persuade and motivate this tribal population for development of dairy entrepreneurship.

Dr. J.C. Markanday, Head of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) stressed that integration of fish farming and bee-keeping components along with scientific dairying would further help in enhancing the income and employment. He explained to the group here about the various training programmes organised at the KVK. He said that the breeding, feeding, healthcare and management components of dairy animals need be addressed scientifically so to enhance the milk production in the Dumka district.

Dalip K. Gosain, a senior scientist of the NDRI who is coordinating the three days exposure visit, studied the mixed farming system of tribal Santhals using anthropological methodologies. On the second day of the visit today, he said that majority of the Santhals who are here were keeping local breeds of cattle having very poor milk yield. He observed that majority of the beneficiaries were not familiar with the concept of artificial insemination and scientific feeding to the dairy animals.

Gosain found that tribal Santhals even were using the female buffaloes for ploughing the fields, draft purposes and not for milk production. He explained to the group about the various areas of scientific dairy farming which could be planned and adopted at small scale under rural situation for increased milk production.

The group was also shown the elite herd of cross-bred cattle and buffaloes kept for milk production and not for draft purposes.

Dona Dusas Hasda (27), a tribal beneficiary of block Gopikandar of village Dhunda Pahari said that ``nearly 75 per cent of the Santhal families do not milk the cows and the calves are allowed to suckle the milk for their sturdy growth''. He said, "my father says that we need the male calves only for ploughing the fields and not the female calves for milk production''.

Ram Marandi (31) from Katikund block said that the ``majority of the Santhals do not drink milk, they take black tea with salt and sugar.''

PTI

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