Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Brijmohan Agrawal on Saturday stated that sheep and goat-rearing can become the main source of livelihood for marginal and poor farmers. “The State will take all necessary steps to encourage the poor farmers to take to goat and sheep-rearing,’’ the Minister remarked at a workshop organised by the Animal Husbandry Department on ‘Development of Sheep-Goat rearing and prospects in Chhattisgarh’ at New Circuit House here.
Agrawal unveiled a monthly newsletter ‘Pasudhan Sanvaad’. The experts who came here from various parts of the country delivered their views on goat rearing and benefits from it. Veterinary doctors, Assistant Regional Officers and farmers who are rearing sheep and goats were present at the meeting.
Agrawal revealed that small investment is needed to start sheep and goat-rearing. The business can be started by small landless poor also. All the family members can co-operate in rearing the animals. He said under the National Mission For Protein Supplementation Programme animal clusters are formed and veterinary facilities are provided which would boost the business of rearing animals. He added that people are showing a keen interest in rearing sheep-goat during the past few years.
As per the animal census Seven lakh 20 thousand families are directly involved in sheep rearing. There are about 34 lakh sheep-goats in Chhattisgarh. There is an increase of 20 percent animals in the state from the last census.