Livestock Rearing: Nurturing Hope and Securing Futures

Tucked away in a quiet hamlet of Jharkhand, Ashamma is slowly but surely rewriting the story of her life. Once a landless widow who struggled to make ends meet, today Ashamma’s efforts have ensured financial freedom for herself and her young daughter.

In a sunny village in Maharashtra, Trupti Gavit — like many mothers in rural India — struggled to address her son’s malnourishment. The medicines, doctor’s fees, and travel costs pushed her family into a vicious cycle of debt. Today, Trupti’s solution to her family’s nourishment needs has also become the key to their financial security.

Ashamma and Trupti are among the many individuals across the country who are turning to livestock rearing as an alternative source of income. The practice is helping families and communities secure their present — and their future.

Prudence in the Face of Unpredictability

Rising temperatures, destructive floods, ruthless droughts, unseasonable rains, and depleting soil fertility have exacerbated the risks associated with agriculture. Fragmented value chains, lack of market linkages, inadequate technical know-how, and lack of access to affordable credit have further compounded this distress. For a majority of the country’s 100.7 million agrarian households, the path to a better tomorrow is obscured by the harsh reality of today.

In this sea of unpredictability, livestock rearing has emerged as an important segment to expand and diversify the livelihoods of rural households. It allows farmers to leverage the seasonal nature of their work towards creating a reliable, alternative source of income - one that can secure the lives of their families and lead to financial security.

?Harvesting Opportunities: Benefits of Livestock Rearing

Livestock rearing comprises the breeding of cattle and ruminants like sheep, goats, pigs, cows, and poultry for their meat, milk, eggs, or value-added products like leather, wool, fur.

India has the largest livestock population in the world at 512 million, however, livestock is the principal source of income for only 3.7% of agrarian households. It can generate income, and employment, and fortify 70% of the country’s rural households against the risks associated with crop production. Apart from generating a continuous income stream, livestock rearing reduces dependence on a single source of livelihood and meets the household's nutritional needs.

It is also considered a moving bank because of its potential to provide ready cash and offer farmers financial security during unforeseen emergencies, weddings, and other life events. The distribution of livestock is more egalitarian than the distribution of land. For small and marginal farmers, this translates into an opportunity to own a capital resource and in the case of most landless farmers, it is the only capital resource they possess. ?

Enhancing the Role of Women and Employment Opportunities

Livestock rearing also increases the agency and role of women in actively contributing to household income as they are often responsible for feeding, breeding, management and health care of the livestock. The rapidly increasing demand for livestock products offers income opportunities for unemployed youth and budding entrepreneurs, thereby curbing distress migration. Along with income and urbanisation, the change in the food consumption patterns in India guarantees a market for livestock and its by-products.

Fielding Challenges to Livestock Rearing

The benefits of livestock rearing span across the financial, nutritional, and social spectrum. However, significant challenges remain to its widespread adoption. For most agrarian households struggling with financial insecurity, the capital investment required to buy and breed livestock can be prohibitively expensive. Morbidity and mortality of livestock are among the most pressing problems. Limited knowledge of livestock management and health practices coupled with the lack of access to para-vets and appropriate animal shelter ensures preventable diseases are rampant.

Building Self-Sufficient Communities, One Farmer at a Time

At Axis Bank Foundation, we have partnered with grassroots organisations across the country to build sustainable systems that support farmers in adopting livestock rearing and addressing its challenges at every step.

Capacity building, training, knowledge sharing and access to affordable credit are facilitated to ensure farmers are able to undertake livestock rearing in a self-sufficient manner. One of the integral aspects of fostering an enabling ecosystem is creating a cadre of Community Resource Persons (CRPs) - members of the local community who act as master trainers. They disseminate knowledge, mobilise resources and spearhead change at the local level.

Livestock CRPs (also known as Pashu Sakhis) receive training to become para-vets and function as primary healthcare providers. They are pivotal in educating farmers on better breed practices, health and nutrition, and lifecycle-based management of livestock. They create awareness on livelihood diversification and value addition of animal products as per market demands. With easy access to Pashu Sakhis, farmers no longer struggle to maintain their breed thus, significantly reducing costs associated with it. Farmers can also easily access affordable credit through Self-Help Groups that are promoted in the community. In addition to financial inclusion efforts, linkages and infrastructure are also strengthened to guarantee farmers access to markets.

The livestock sector holds immense potential for rural development. It serves as a pathway to elevate the socio-economic status of rural families and secure their economic and nutritional security. The day is not far when livestock will be an essential asset for every agricultural farmer.