NGO Strategies for livestock development in western Rajasthan, india: An overview and analysis

by Ilse Köhler-Rollefson with Hanwant Singh Rathore, May, 1998.

League for Pastoral Peoples Pragelatostr. 20, 64372 Ober-Ramstadt, Germany Tel./Fax 06154-53642; e-mail gorikr@t-online.de

This report is available free of charge by e-mail. Alternatively, printed copies of the report are available from the League for Pastoral Peoples at a price of $10 plus postage.

SUMMARY

1. A month-long study (8.3.98 - 7.4.98) was conducted of NGO-livestock development activities in Rajasthan. Focusing on western Rajasthan and southern Rajasthan, the study entailed conversations and discussions with NGO representatives, field visits and talks with beneficiaries, analysis of project proposals and reports, as well as the compilation of background information. 10 NGOs were included in the study. The purpose was to provide an overview of livestock oriented interventions and their analysis on both a conceptual as well as practical level.

2. Livestock breeding is the traditional subsistence strategy in western Rajasthan and, in principle, well attuned to its natural resource base. It is an important source of income for the poorer segments of the rural population with limited or no land resources.

3. Paralleling Rajasthan's human population growth, livestock numbers have increased enormously during the last 40 years, in effect almost doubling between 1951 and 1992. Because of the substantial profit margin they provide, small ruminants (goats and sheep) have become dominant, whereas cattle and especially camel breeding are losing ground due to lack of economic viability.

4. Livestock is still sustained mostly on common property resources (village grazing grounds, wastelands, forests, etc.) whose extent and productivity have declined significantly since independence. Livestock density increased from 39 animal units per hectare of grazing land in 1951-52 to 105 during 1977-78. This raises serious concerns about the impact of animal husbandry on the vegetation and its role in desertification processes.

5. Livestock related activities are an important component of NGO activities in Rajasthan. Most of the projects relate to cattle and goats, there was one camel-project and no specific activities for sheep or donkeys. Among the NGOs studied, projects relating to goat improvement, pasture development and animal health/para-vet training were most frequent. Other types of intervention include cattle breed improvement and dairy projects for women.

6. Cattle breed improvement by cross-breeding the local non-descript cow with exotic bulls (usually by A.I.) is regarded as an important strategy for raising family income by many NGOs. It is implemented on a large scale and with government support in the southern, higher rainfall areas of Rajasthan. Although cross-bred cows have higher milk yields, they also have many draw-backs, such as low milk fat content, high requirements in terms of feeding, watering and housing, as well as very high calf mortality. It is doubtful whether this is a strategy suitable for uplifting the rural poor. The economics should be reevaluated from the perspective of the resource poor farmer.

7. The indigenous cattle breeds of Rajasthan, which provide good performance combined with adaptation to the harsh environment, are being neglected by policy makers and their populations have declined drastically. Efforts to save these threatened genetic resources need to be stepped up urgently. It is essential to initiate farmer-participatory projects for the conservation of these valuable genetic resources.

8. Integrated goat projects, promoting the dual-purpose Sirohi goat together with a training and community development package, are very popular with NGOs in southern and central Rajasthan and appear to generate a good community response.

9. Camel breeding is a threatened economic strategy because of the lack of a nutritional resource base and support facilities. In view of the continued demand for working camels and their essential role in the rural infrastructure, a concerted effort is necessary to devise methods of breeding camels under the changed circumstances, i.e. without or only limited access to common grazing lands.

10. Para-vet training, in various guises, is embraced by many NGOs, and its importance is born out by the inability of the Department of Animal Husbandry's animal health services to reach out to rural livestock owners. However, the methods of para-vet training that are currently in use appear in need of improvement and refinement if they are to achieve any of the intended impact.

11. Sylvipasture development is a crucial strategy for any approach to livestock development. Especially the growing of fodder trees and production of top-feed for browsing species such as goat and camel is a very time-consuming, expensive process that faces considerable logistical hurdles. It needs to be examined to what extent such efforts can keep up with the rise in animal numbers and grazing pressure.

12. Projects entailing the provision (as gift or by partial loan) of dairy animals (cows, goats) as a measure of poverty alleviation require careful consideration, both from the perspective of the already existing fodder deficit and the actual needs of the beneficiaries. It should be evaluated carefully whether no other income generating options are available. (This does not apply to work-animals that can generate enough cash on a daily basis to sustain a family.)

13. Currently, NGOs do not place any significant emphasis on the research and revitalization of livestock related indigenous knowledge and institutions, even though Rajasthan has a particularly strong tradition in this respect. In some cases, awareness about the value and even the existence of traditional knowledge is lacking among NGO staff.

14. NGOs are generally aware of the need to focus their efforts on women as main actors in the livestock sector, especially dairy-related activities. Their limitations in this respect are caused by the difficulty of finding female staff. The empowerment of women is a slow process, because overcoming centuries-old traditions requires more than the lifespan of a project.

15. With one exception, none of the projects concerns itself with the needs of the nomadic pastoralist population. Migratory pastoralists in essence fall through the gaps in the NGO-network.

16. Recommended follow-up actions include a NGO-workshop to refine the methodology of para-vet training, an exposure workshop and awareness campaign about the status of camel-breeding, development of an action-plan for the conservation of indigenous (cattle) breeds, and an evaluation of the success of pasture development projects.