Goat production scenario in Bihar, India

摘要

Beingthe5thlargestgoatpopulationstate,Biharcontributesabout7.63%ofIndia'stotalgoatpopulation.Thestateisalsoahabitatof42.6%peoplebelowpovertylineandhencethereisatremendousscopeofgoatfarmingtomeetupthelargegapbetweendemandandsupplyofmeat.Around574000goatsareslaughteredannuallyinrecognizedslaughterhousescontributing31.17%oftotalmeatproductionofthestate(175thousandtonnesofmeatin2003).However,goatrearingisnotwellacceptedbyallclassesofpeopleinBihar.Itismostlyconfinedtobackwardclassesandlandlesslaborerswhoareunabletorearlargeanimals.Asaresult,goatrearinghasnotbeendevelopedasanindustry.Holdingsizeisgenerally1-3goatperfamilydependingonavailabilityofsurpluslaborinthefamily.VillagegoatismostlyofBengalbreed.However,crosseswithotherbreedslikeJamunapari,Barbari,SirohiandJakharanaarealsoavailable.MaleBengalbreedcomesinpubertyattheageof8-9monthswhereastheageof1stkiddingisonanaverage14-15months.Lactationlengthofthisbreedofgoatatfarmer'sfieldhasbeenrecordedas80-120daysandkiddingintervalat250days.Thisbreedishighlyprolificandtwiningpercentagehasbeenrecordedas45.Goatsareraisedongrazing.NovaccinationofFMDorPPRisgivenatfarmer'sfield.Goathasalsobeenplayingasignificantroleinrain-fedfarmingsystem.Marketingofgoatisunderthehandofunorganizedsectorandmiddlemanoriented.So,thereisurgentneedtodevelopstrategyinrespectofbreedconservation,management,healthcare,credit,insuranceandmarketingsystemofgoatinBihar.