Livestock in extensive systems silently converts biomass in commons into valued products like meat, milk, leather, fibre, draft power, soil fertility and provide livelihood security to the rearers. Around 70 % of the livestock population in the country are being reared in Rainfed and Dryland areas. Extensive Livestock System also represents diversities, Large Ruminants, Small Ruminants and indigenous poultry in the back yards. They contribute substantially to the livestock GDP in terms of draught power to agriculture, meat production, fibre and milk and helps poor to accumulate wealth in terms of animals. Yet, livestock in the Extensive Systems suffers from serious problems of high mortality and morbidity rates, shrinking grazing lands and fodder resources and no access to credit or infrastructure support.

Revitalizing Rainfed Agriculture (RRA) Network, has been working towards strengthening support services appropriate for extensive livestock production system. Livestock Node, anchored at WASSAN, supports RRA Network Partners and collaborate with State Department of Animal Husbandry in designing appropriate policies and programmes to understand, improve extensive livestock System.

Key strategic interventions of RRA Network are

  • Decentralized Community Managed Preventive Animal Healthcare to mainstream vaccination services through community institutions (PRI/SHG federation/ village institutions) in collaboration with Department of Animal Husbandry.

  • Small Ruminant (Goat and Sheep) Programme envisages improving productivity within a given ‘area’ (area- productivity) or a cluster of villages by integrating regular paid vaccination services, ensuing fodder security and supplementary feeding, proper night shelters and collective marketing.

  • Revival of Back Yard Poultry production with Indigenous breeds through establishing support services in enterprise mode- that includes ensuring regular supply of chicks, vaccination services and promoting improved management practices at household level.

  • Documentation and Characterization of indigenous livestock population in rainfed areas to realize their contribution in farming and livelihood security in order to develop support services of these often neglected population as they term as non-descript Programme of Extensive Livestock System of RRA Network have been spread over 8 States in the country.

Small Ruminant constitutes 40 % of countries livestock population. 135 million Goat and 65 million Sheep population provide livelihood to around 40 million households (70% of them are small, marginal farmers and landless labourers) in India. Sheep is reared by traditional shepherds / pastoral communities in large flock in arid, semi arid region of western India, Deccan plateau and western Himalayas whereas Goat rearing is common in small flock (except in Gujarat and Rajasthan) throughout the country. Besides contributing significant income and nutrition at household level, small ruminant offers buffer against crop failure and considered as main source of wealth accumulation for poor and marginal farmers. Having relatively remunerative local market, small ruminant contributes 23 % countries meat production in the country. India is also largest exporters of sheep and goat meat (23611 MT) to the World. Even though it’s significant contribution in Agricultural GDP, high export potential and enhancing rural economy, small ruminant population has declined by 13 % between 2007 and 2012 due following major limiting factors:

  • High mortality rate particularly among kids and lambs due to lack of healthcare services

  • Shrinking common grazing resources

  • Restriction on grazing in forest areas

  • Lack of infrastructure development like shelter, drinking water, slaughter facilities

  • Defunct institutions like cooperatives / traditional rearers’ institutions

Revitalizing Rainfed Agriculture (RRA) Network have initiated ‘Comprehensive Goat Cluster’ programme under Small Ruminant Production System in order to establish support services to enhance ‘Area Productivity’. Comprehensive Goat Cluster programme is in operation in 8 locations covering 12 blocks in 6 states, viz, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and West Bengal. This programme aimed to create support services so that each household able to sale 5 Goats annually.

5 point Comprehensive Goat Cluster Programme has following components

  1. Establishing paid preventive healthcare by local trained para workers (Prani Mitra/ Pashu Sakhi / Community Resource Persons) in collaboration with Department of Animal Husbandry – 1 trained workers covers 200- 250 households

  2. Creating infrastructure – Night Shelter for Goats

  3. Mixed cropping for feed supplementation

    1. Plantation of Fodder trees at homestead land and farm land in common grazing areas / grazing track / water stream

    2. Fodder production in current fallow / tank bed

  4. Breed improvement through selective breeding

  5. Building Goat rearers’ institution for strengthening support services and better bargaining power with markets Policy Engagement

  6. RRA Networks collaborate with Government and Civil Societies to formulate appropriate policies and programme on Small Ruminant

  7. Network provided inputs to Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Andhra Pradesh to formulate State Policy on Small Ruminant Development

  8. RRA Network provided inputs in National Livestock Mission

### Invest in

  • Agriculture and natural resources management integrated animal husbandry

  • Increasing fodder base in commons and in agriculture residues

  • Decreasing mortality through community-led preventive health care services

  • Establishing other support systems - drinking water, institution development, commons management, etc.

  • Small ruminants as growth engine and for surplus generation

  • Backyard poultry for extensive supplementary incomes