Livestock based enterprises, ideal for livelihood security
M.J. PRABU
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His net annual annual income is more than a lakh of rupees
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— PHOTO: KVK
Accolades: The farmer Mr. P. Dinesan, has won the district-level award and a cash prize from the Kerala Government Animal Husbandry Department.
Livestock based enterprises can provide livelihood security to farmers and are ideal for the homestead-based agriculture particularly in Kerala for small and marginal farmers. Scientists at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Kozhikode have promoted the technology of scientific livestock management in the district by conducting regular training programmes for farmers.
Economic security
Incorporation of livestock enterprises in the present farming system should be given due importance for the economic security of the farmers where commodity prices in the markets are fluctuating daily, according to Dr. V. Parthasarathy, Director of the Institute
Mr. P. Dinesan, a farmer of Kozhikode district has about two acres of land in which coconut is the predominant crop. Other crops such as black pepper, areca nut, banana and rubber were also planted as intercrops. A team of KVK scientists from the institute visited his farm and identified livestock based farming which could be easily reared in his farm.
Bank loan
“A project on mini dairy unit was prepared for him and based on the project, the Agricultural Co-operative Development Bank at Perambra advanced him a loan of 1 lakh for starting the dairy unit with 7 cows and 4 bull calves,” said Dr. T.K. Jacob, Training Organizer, KVK.
The milk production was about 35 litres a day and fetched a daily income of about Rs. 455. He was further trained on techniques for oestrus detection and timely breeding by using frozen semen, optimum feeding for higher milk production, adoption of remedial measures for non-pregnant cows. The training helped him maintain optimum fertility in cows achieving “a calf a year.”
It has been a usual practice among some dairy farmers to rear the bull calves without much feeding care and sell them at very low prices.
If scientific feeding management practices are followed, a bull calf would provide an additional income of Rs.10, 000 – 12,000 at about 30 months of age, explained Dr. Jacob.
Mr. Dinesan has earned about Rs.32,000 from the sale of three bull calves. Initially he had been collecting fodder grass from the institute’s farm. He had to spend about Rs. 130 a day on green grass for feeding his cattle.
He was advised to start cultivating fodder grass (Co- 3 variety) in the interspaces of the coconut trees.
Azolla farming
He also started a goatary with seven goats, a poultry unit with 50 layers, a rabbitary with 20 rabbits and azolla cultivation which is used as a supplementary feed source for his cows and poultry.
“Feeding azolla has improved the milk production and quality of the milk from my animals. There is good demand for rabbit kids. I have earned a net income of Rs. 3, 000 through the sale of rabbit kids,” said Mr. Dinesan.
Proper disposal of waste from the dairy unit was initially a problem for him. He was trained in vermi-composting and KVK channelized a subsidy of Rs.2,000 from the Spices Board in 2006 for constructing a vermi-compost unit in his farm.
The vermi-compost produced is presently applied in his own farm. The farmer was also trained on artificial insemination techniques.
Training programme
The institute arranged a three month training programme in artificial insemination for him at the Kerala Livestock Development Board, Palghat. After the training, under the supervision of a qualified veterinarian from KVK, he started carrying out artificial insemination programmes as a para veterinarian.
On an average, he earns Rs.3,500 per month through artificial insemination programmes. He has won the district- level award and a cash prize of Rs. 21, 400 for 2005-06 from the Kerala Government Animal Husbandry Department for the best mini-dairy units.
Net income
Presently, he is earning a net income of more than a lakh of rupees a year from his artificial insemination programmes, dairy and goatary units alone.
For more details Mr. P. Dinesan can be reached at Poyilkandy House, Peruvannamuzhi (P.O.), Kozhikode -673 528, Kerala and Dr. T.K. Jacob can be reached at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Peruvannamuzhi Post, Kozhikode, Kerala-673 528, email: jacobtk@spices.res.in,phone: 0496-2662372.
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