Initiative:

Better animal health services in rural areas

Beneficiaries:

Cattle owners in 15 hamlets of Madurai district, Tamil Nadu

The Challenge:

• Disenchantment among farmers who had to travel over 5 kilometres for vaccination and treatment of cattle
• Migration due to overall dissatisfaction with dairy farming

The Solution:

• NABARD provided RIDF assistance for construction of a veterinary dispensary in Panaiyur
• Dispensary also enabled the provision of fodder seeds
• Capacity-building support in dairy management was extended to farmers

The Impact:

• Besides vaccinations, over 100 artificial inseminations and 800 treatments are performed in the clinic every month
• Increase in livestock population by over 30 percent within two years
• Tangible improvement in incomes