A goat is generally potrayed as a "poor man's cow". But that seems to be an understatement. Compared to cows, goats are more hardy, multi-utility, easy-to-maintain and prolific animals that can efficiently convert low-value vegetation, tree leaves and crop residues into high value meat, milk, hide, manure and fibre, including the much sought-after Pashmina fibre. It, therefore, serves as one of the important means of livelihood and nutritional security for small and marginal farmers and landless rural households whose numbers are fast swelling.
At the macro level, too, the goat's contribution to the country's gross domestic product is not insignificant. The total value of meat, milk and other products derived from the estimated goat population of about 154 million - the highest in the world - is reckoned at around Rs 22,138 crore annually. This includes meat worth Rs 12,000 crore, milk Rs 5,500 crore, skin Rs 800 crore and manure Rs 1,600 crore. These numbers are set to rise further given the recent trend of high growth in goat output. The production of goat meat is estimated to have surged from 4.7 lakh tonnes to around 6 lakh tonnes between 2002 and 2011, clocking an annual growth of nearly 2.4 per cent. The output of goat milk has grown at a faster pace, rising from 36.4 lakh tonnes to nearly 46 lakh tonnes during this period.
Significantly, the demand for goat milk is on the upswing the world over. Doctors recommend it for its health benefits and therapeutic values. Compared to cow or buffalo milk, goat milk is deemed far closer to mother's milk in its chemical structure and digestibility. It also has better composition of proteins and useful amino acids, lending it anti-inflammatory and immunity-boosting traits to guard against infections. Besides, the goats can be milked any time of the day, thus acquiring the well-deserved epithet of "mobile milk vending machines" or "walking refrigerators".
The demand for goat meat is also spiralling, outpacing the growth in its production, despite being a red meat and generally forbidden to people with high cholesterol. High prices of goat meat, too, do not deter its connoisseurs for two reasons: its unique texture and taste; and the absence of any religious taboo attached to its consumption.
To meet the rising demand of goat products, the population of goats may need to be almost doubled by 2030, maintain the goat scientists of the Makhdoom (Mathura)-based Central Institute for Research on Goats (CIRG). "This is a daunting task considering the limited availability of fodder and feed and rapidly shrinking pastures and grazing lands," says CIRG director S K Agarwal. This challenge can best be met through well-judged farmer-friendly and commercially viable technologies.
The CIRG has already developed numerous technologies for raising the milk and meat yield of the common goat breeds, apart from augmenting the feed and fodder resources and improving their nutritional attributes. Besides, techniques have been evolved for producing several value enhanced products from goat meat and milk. Eighteen such innovations have already been patented by this institute for licensing to private companies for commercial production. Many others are in the process of being patented. These include specially fabricated feed pallets to hasten gain in body weight and uplift milk yield, and mineral mixtures to rectify nutritional imbalances in the animals. These apart, several diagnostic kits, drugs and vaccines have been invented to detect, control and prevent major goat diseases, including the dreaded Johne's Disease, caused by the bacterial infection of intestine, which causes heavy goat mortality the world over. Many of these technologies have been passed on to interested entrepreneurs for commercialisation.
Notably, considerable success has been achieved in evolving techniques to produce goat kids through embryo transfer and in vitro fertilisation methods that had hitherto been deemed difficult in goats because of their intricate anatomy (body structure). These technologies are capable of transforming goat rearing from a traditional subsistence activity to a vibrant commercially lucrative occupation. The need is to promote them on a wider scale for the benefit of goat farmers, goat products-based industry and consumers. More investment is needed also in setting up modern abattoirs and processing units for value-addition of goat products.
surinder.sud@gmail.com
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