Species diversification, livestock production and income of the poor in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh

摘要

ThispaperinvestigatesthefactorsassociatedwithprivatesectorsmallholderlivestockandtheassociatedincomeofthepoorintheIndianStatesofAndhraPradesh.ThedatausedaredrawnfromtheLivelihoodOptionsStudyledbytheOverseasDevelopmentInstitute,London,specificallytheCensusSurvey2001/2andPanelSurveyofearly2005.Poorerhouseholdsdependdisproportionallyonlivestock.nbsp;Importantchangeswerenoted;theaveragesizeofanysinglespeciesdeclinedconsiderablyinthefiveyearperiodbeginningfrom1996/7,thenumberoffarmskeepingthespeciesroseinthe1996/7to2001/2periodbutdroppedintherecent2001/2to2003/4period.Thepoorerhouseholdskeptfewersmallruminantsandpoultryinthelatterperiodbutricherhouseholdskeptmore.Thismightsuggestthatthetechnologyisshiftingtowardswhatthebetteroffcanaffordliketheintensivepoultrykeeping,andthattheyhavebetteraccesstocertainresourcessuchascropresidues.Ontheotherhand,policiessuchasthebanongrazingbygoatswillalsohaveaffectedthepoormoresincetheyrelyonopen-grazingmethods.nbsp;Farmersidentifiedshock/stressvariablesandnaturalenvironmentasimportantforthedecreaseinlivestockpopulation.Livestockactasaveryrealmeansofsmoothingincomebyallowingdebtstoberepaid,farminputsandmedicaltreatmenttobepurchased,anddowrytobepaid.Morethan22%ofthefarmersmentioneddiseaseproblemsasacauseofthedeclineinlivestockpopulation.Thisproblemneedstobeaddressed,possiblythroughpublic-privatepartnershiparrangementsasarebeingtriedinothercountries.