Overlooking the beautiful Tashi Jong Monastery lies Beth Village in Baijnath Tehsil, Himachal Pradesh. This village tells a sad story of the challenges women livestock owners face in managing herds with limited resources. Older women from resource-poor families bear the brunt of this hard work, with little knowledge of modern farming methods or support from government programs. This blog highlights how issues such as low productivity, lack of veterinary help, and the heavy workload on women affect livestock management in this region. It also proposes practical solutions to address these pressing concerns and strengthen sustainable rural livelihoods.
Livestock Management Practices: A Grim Reality
Khalora Devi, along with her four neighbors and relatives, manages livestock herd of 5 animals (total 30 animals in common tying area by four families), primarily buffaloes and a few crossbred cows (Jersey and Holstein). Despite their significant contributions to dairy production, these families face numerous challenges:
1. Feeding Practices
The animals are fed predominantly on wheat and rice straw. During lean periods like December and January, tree leaves supplement their diet. Green fodder and mineral mixtures are absent from the feeding regimen, severely impacting the productivity of the animals.
2. Breeding and Conception Issues
Most buffaloes are bred through natural service, with only one buffalo artificially inseminated. Poor conception rates in artificial insemination have fostered a negative attitude toward the practice. This skepticism is exacerbated by instances of oversized calves, reflecting misinformation and inadequate veterinary support.
3. Low Milk Yield
Due to poor feeding and management practices, milk yield is dismally low. Buffaloes produce only 4-5 liters, and crossbred cows barely 7-8 liters daily. A herd of around 30 animals predominantly comprising buffaloes yields just 80-90 liters of milk per day. Poor feeding and breeding practices limit the potential of high-yielding breeds.
4. Overburdened Women
The burden of managing livestock falls disproportionately on older women from Gujjar families. They perform strenuous tasks such as feeding, cleaning, and milking, often without adequate resources or support.
5. Lack of Awareness and Support
Despite their experience, these women are unaware of modern interventions such as Kisan Credit Cards, silage feeding, or feed blocks. The absence of veterinary outreach, financial schemes, and awareness of modern practices perpetuates inefficiencies.
6. Disease Toll on Livestock
An elderly villager recalled a time when equines, sheep, and goats were common. Now, only a few dairy animals remain, managed by younger family members. Most animals were lost to disease, further discouraging livestock ownership.
7. Hostility Toward Government Programs
A deep-seated distrust of government agencies and schemes is evident in the community, possibly influenced by socio-economic challenges and unmet expectations from previous programs.
8. The Drudgery of Fodder Collection
Villagers, mostly women, trek uphill weekly to gather fodder. It takes an hour to collect sufficient fodder from steeper hills. Climbing trees to retrieve stored dry fodder is hazardous. Women spend 3-5 hours daily on household and livestock-related tasks, leaving limited time for education or recreation.
9. Milk Transportation
Milk is transported to Paprola, a nearby town, taking 1-1.5 hours daily. As men often work away from home, the responsibility for milk transportation falls on women or elderly family members. School-going children frequently assist in fodder collection, highlighting the trade-offs rural families make between education, labor, and sustenance.
Contrasting Narratives: A Neighboring Family’s Perspective
A neighboring family presented a slightly better picture. This household, managed by a 40-year-old mother and her 21-year-old daughter, demonstrated the benefits of better practices. One Jersey crossbred cow produced an impressive 15-16 liters of milk during its last lactation, attributed to the head of the family’s prior experience in livestock trading. However, they too faced challenges in fodder collection and management.
Challenges and Opportunities
The struggles of Khalora Devi, Rekha, Aman, and others in Beth Village highlight systemic issues in rural livestock management:
Solutions
- Promoting Awareness: Awareness programs on Kisan Credit Schemes, feed blocks, mineral mixtures, and green fodder cultivation could enhance productivity.The Pashu Kisan Credit Card Scheme, which provides loans to livestock farmers at an interest rate of only 4 percent, can prove to be a beneficial initiative for them. Through this scheme, livestock farmers can purchase high-quality feed, mineral mixtures, etc., which can help increase milk production.
- Providing Veterinary Support: Upon inquiry, the women expressed the need for deworming and ectoparasite drugs. Providing these during our subsequent visits helped us to build trust with the community .Due to being located in remote areas, farmers are deprived of such inputs and services.
- Strengthening Artificial Insemination Services: Addressing misconceptions about AI through education and veterinary outreach can improve breeding outcomes.
- Empowering Women: Gender-focused initiatives like credit schemes and labor-saving technologies could alleviate the workload on women.
Conclusion
The tale of Khalora Devi and her community is reflection of the hardships faced by rural livestock keepers in resource-constrained settings. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach involving government agencies, extension services, and community participation. By integrating modern practices with traditional knowledge, we can pave the way for sustainable and equitable livestock management in villages like Beth.
About the Writer
Dr. Devesh Thakur is an alumnus of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute and a faculty member at DGCN COVAS Palampur,Himachal Pradesh. He is passionate about writing stories from the rural hinterlands of Himachal Pradesh, India. You are welcome to share your stories with him or provide feedback on his work. Dr. Thakur can be reached at drdth4@gmail.com.
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