Goat rearing farm all set to come up in Kepu

The pilot project is supported by Nabard through IDSR scheme

A first of its kind stall fed goat rearing farm which will have around 525 goats is all set to come up in Kepu Village near Vittal in Bantwal taluk.

The pilot project under the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Department is supported by the Government of India and NABARD through a scheme ‘Integrated Development of Small Ruminants’ (IDSR).

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Deputy Director Dr K V Halagappa said that goat rearing has become an alternative income generating scheme in the district as the district is a minority concentrated one and hence there is a greater demand for meat.

At present, 10 per cent of the meat requirement is produced within the district. Land and irrigation facility for growing fodder is the main requirement. Grass cultivated in one acre of irrigated land is sufficient to meet the green fodder requirement of a unit consisting of 40 to 50 goats, he said.

Breeds

The preferred goat breeds that adapt well in DK district are Tellichery (also known as Malbari), Sirohi, Barbari, Osmanabadi and Jamanapari, said Halagappa.

However, these animals have to be procured from centres like Erode, Salem, Coimbatore, Palghat, Tellicheri, Kaivara, Shidlaghatta, Hiriyur and other places, he says.

For every 20 to 25 doe (female goat), one buck (male goat) will be required for breeding purpose. A doe calves two kids on an average per parturition. In a period of 24 months, a doe calves thrice and it will calve eight times in its economic lifetime, he revealed.

Kids are reared for eight months till they attain body weight of 30 kgs and sold for Rs 200 per kg, he said.

Expenditure

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr K N Vijayprakash said that a unit size of 100 does and 5 bucks would require a capital expenditure of approximately Rs 18.50 lakhs  and recurring expenditure of Rs 8.50 lakhs per year. The yielding profit would be approximately Rs 10.80 lakhs, he said.

The central government through IDSR scheme will provide 25 per cent subsidy for general category and 33 per cent for SC/STs, he said.

Loans are available from nationalised banks, cooperative banks and regional rural banks. For investments to meet capital expenditure, banks grant term loans repayable for over a period of five to seven years in installments based on cash flow, he said. Banks grant loans to the extent of 85 per cent of the project cost, he said.

“The AH and VS department has imparted training to a group of 83 interested entrepreneurs in goat farming. As many as 12 applications have already been received.

The pilot farm which will come up in Kepu is owned by Mumtaz Hussain and will start functioning in a month’s time,” says Halagappa.

“Animal husbandry activities is a must for integrated development in the district. Over the years, the Animal Husbandry Development activities and its contribution to the primary sector of the economy has come down due to many reasons.

To come out of this myth, DK ZP AH and VS  department in assistance with the Lead district bank has undertaken the pilot project,” said ZP CEO Vijayprakash.