Vol. 11, Special Issue 2 (2022)

Author(s):
Sandeep Gill, Nitesh Sharma, Dheeraj Kumar and Deepak Kumar

Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to learn more about goat farmers' breeding techniques and practices in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh area. Pratapgarh, Pipalkhunt, Dhariyawad, and Chhoti Sadri tehsils were chosen for this investigation. Three villages were chosen at random from each tehsil based on the greatest covering goat population. As a result, a total of twelve communities were chosen for the survey. With the cooperation of the village sarpanch and Patwari, a list of goat keepers from the twelve villages was compiled. The chi-square approach was used to evaluate the data acquired during the survey. The purpose of this study was to look at the challenges that goat farmers in Rajasthan's semi-arid region confront. According to data collected from 120 households, the main constraint faced by 71.39 per cent of goat farmers was high cost of concentrate feeding, followed by lack of credit facility 69.44 per cent, lack of grazing area 67.44 per cent, illiteracy 66.94 per cent, breeding 65.28 per cent, lack of veterinary aid at village level 53.89 per cent, high cost of veterinary aid 51.39, lack of improved breeding buck 50.56 per cent, lack of green fodder 49.44 per cent. The primary feeding management constraints were a lack of information about balanced feeding, high feed and fodder costs, a lack of irrigation facilities, a lack of green fodder availability, a lack of understanding about the usefulness of mineral mixtures, and diminishing grazing space. The primary constraints in breeding were a shortage of breeding buck availability, a lack of understanding about breeding procedures, and indiscriminate breeding. The lack of veterinary services in villages, the high cost of treatment, misunderstanding about the need of deworming, lack of awareness about common illnesses, and the lack of a vaccination programme carried out by any agency were the key health care restraints. The key marketing obstacles were a lack of marketing infrastructure, a middleman who did not get a fair price for male babies, disorganized goat owners, and the lack of even a single marketing agency. Given the foregoing information, it is advised that a suitable plan for the growth of goat farming and goat farmers be developed.