Making a case for goat farming

'The country is fortunate to have a rich diversity of goat breeds', says the author

Rapid growth in demand and, hence, prices of goat meat and milk has made the commercial farming of this small, hardy, and easily manageable animal highly lucrative. It requires relatively low initial investment and begins yielding returns in a short time. Realising the potential of goat husbandry in raising the income of marginal farmers and landless ruralites, apart from commercial entrepreneurs, the Centre and many states have begun offering subsidies and other incentives for it. These sops, in some states, amount to nearly 90 per cent of the initial investment in goat farming. Special drives are also underway in states