82
S
tate
of
I
ndia
’
s
L
ivelihoods
R
eport
2015
Attention given to animal rearing
practices
(a) Professionals from SRIJAN organised
regular training to train women on
improved rearing practices, importance
of the fat content and how to measure
and enhance it.
(b) Being conscious of the challenges that
the members were facing with murrah
bufaloes brought in from Haryana,
members were asked to buy murrah
from nearby villages to achieve scale-
in-milk collection with acceptable fat
content. They were also encouraged to
induct indigenous breed. Since people
had traditional knowledge of rearing
local breeds, it could easily get adjusted
to the environment.
(c) Efforts were made to find a balance
between the need to procure quality feed
and the need to control costs. Women
learnt to prepare low-cost nutritious
feed for the animals to improve their fat
content and quantity of milk produc-
tion. SRIJAN introduced the Federation
to the concept of bulk purchase of
minerals and feed instead of individual
purchase. Feed shop was one of the
initial steps taken by the Federation in
the direction of setting up necessary
infrastructure.
(d) With the help of SRIJAN, AI was experi-
mented with to improve the local breed.
With the support of Sri Ratan Tata Trust
(SRTT) and tie up with BAIF, two AI
centers were set up and success rate of 42
per cent was achieved with 598 insemi-
nations. As the government had started
AI services at Panchayat level, this was
discontinued. Since semen quality is not
good and the conception rate is about
25 per cent, the dairy is considering
recommencing the captive AI services
once again.
(e) In 2010–11 after exposure to IBTADA
(urdu word meaning ‘the beginning’),
community resource persons called
Pashusakhi
s (animal friend) were devel-
oped for providing backward linkages
to the dairy women. About 105 pashu-
sakhis are providing deworming and
vaccination services at village level and
facilitating connection with veterinary
department for AI. They provide timely
knowledge for preventive measures and
training to the rearers. Each household
pays
`
50 per month for these services
which is in turn paid to the Federation.
Pashusakhis also link the rearers with
the government’s scheme of veterinary
services from the veterinary department.
These services are provided at panchayat
level where the rearers can accessmineral
mixture, calcium and also AI services.
(f) Pashusakhis are working with about
2,000 farmers and follow up with them
on adoption practices. They also propa-
gate fodder growing, urea-treated green
fodder, Napier grass, Lucerne grass,
azolla etc. To meet fodder scarcity dur-
ing January to June, a variety of Bajri has
been introduced which provides fodder
with low water.
(g) SRIJAN carried out a small sample study
in seven villages and found that the aver-
age milking days had increased from120
days to 180 days per animal due to the
work of pashusakhis who ensured good
feeding practices, timely deworming,
vaccination and AI.
(h) P a s hu Ra h a t S ewa—a mu t u a l
insurance—has been operational. Each
woman contributes
`
1000 out of which
`
500 are for insurance premium and
`
500 for healthwhich includes two times
vaccinations, four times deworming,
two consultations from doctors and one
time provision of mineral mixtures and
calcium.
Milk marketing
SRIJANhelped the Federation to set upmilk
marketing infrastructure. In 2007–08, a bulk
milk cooler (BMC) of 2,000 litre capacity
was installed with
`
7 lakhs grant support
from the American India Foundation. In
2008, Dewan Foundation gave a grant to
SRIJAN with which another BMC of 5,000
