Business Opportunities in Agriculture: 150 Field Interviews (Book)

The Goat Gamble

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smy82482

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It has been a slow and steady shift over decades. Forced by declining returns from farming in ecologically fragile areas, small farmers have been taking to goat rearing. Today, goats ensure income to five million households in India. It is now bonanza time, with demand for goat meat projected to shoot up. India will have to almost double its goat population in 10 years. Government is encouraging goat rearing. But no one considered one question: where will the goats graze? Over the past 50 years land available for grazing has shrunk by half and forests are reportedly overgrazed.

Giyasilal Saini is a marginal farmer who has market savvy. It comes from experience. Living in a semi-arid area like Alwar in Rajasthan, he always knew he could not depend on farming alone. So he would keep some goats, like others in village Jaitpura. Then three years ago the pond that irrigated his tiny field dried up. “Rains have not been enough. I spent a fortune on irrigating my field but could not grow enough for my family,” said the 36-year-old. He devoted his energy to goat rearing.

Within three years Saini’s herd grew from 20 to 80-strong, the largest in his village. “They serve as a 24-hour cash bank,” he said, closely inspecting the mouths of goats. He displayed two large teeth in the lower front jaw of one of the goats. “It means the chhendi (goat) is over 12 months old and the thickness of its backbone suggests it has gained 40 kg of weight,” said Saini. “I can now sell it for at least Rs 15000.”

Goat rearing is not capital intensive, hence easy to start. The partially denuded Aravali hills provide free grazing ground; that saves close to 70 per cent of the rearing cost. Being prolific eaters with super efficient digestive system, goats can eat anything anytime.

Market demands

What is also pushing goat numbers is the rising demand for goat meat in India, both for domestic and international market. Consumption demand is more pronounced in urban areas that are growing at the rate of 2.5 per cent per year. While rural population has grown at 1.7 per cent a year between 1981 and 2001, urban population has grown at 3 per cent.

India is the largest goat meat producer after China. The rate of goat meat production (18.6 per cent) in 1997-2007 was double the production rate (9.3 per cent) in the previous decade. Despite a steady increase in supply, goat meat prices are continuously rising. This is the highest among all the primary food items .In Delhi, goat meat prices increased from Rs 300 per kg to Rs 400-450 per kg in the past one year.

“The main reason for the price increase is the rising export of goat meat to West Asia,” .Sixty countries import goat meat from India. Big importers are Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Angola and Egypt. Nearly 80 per cent of the goat meat and mutton export is to West Asia. Although India’s current export of goat and sheep meat is 6.4 per cent of the production, export is where demand is set to explode. Export of goat and sheep meat has, in fact, increased more than eight times in the past two years, while production has increased marginally . “People in West Asia are shifting from Australian sheep to Indian goats because the meat of our goats is tastier and low on fat,” as per Food Nutrition Department of India.

This has turned goat into a much sought after economic instrument. Both exporters and local traders buy from the same market. Since exporters have a better purchasing power they have captured 60 per cent of the goat market. Exporters are buying goats at an even higher price going up to Rs 300 per kg live weight.The average sale age of goats is coming down. As the demand for the tender meat is rising.Due to this goat farming is becoming the most viable business nowadays.
Regards,
DR.Shaikh
 

Business Opportunities in Agriculture: 150 Field Interviews (Book)

shanayfarms

New Member
Agreed To U On Viability Of Goat Rearing Business ... I Have Been Considering Starting This Since Last 2 Years ... But There Are Few Points On Which I Have Been Undecided Yet !!! Have Read Different Views On These Issues, If U Can Clarify !!!

1) How Do U Tackle The Issue Of Non-Availability Of Green Fodders ? I Mean for People Who Do Not Have Sufficient Land To Cultivate Green Fodder Nor There Is Availability Of Grazing Pastures etc.
2) How Viable Is Hydroponics fodder system??? Cost Wise Considering We Avoid Automatic/Semi Automatic Fodder Machines & Do It On Locally Available Resources.
3) Why Should A Person Start Professional Goat Rearing With High Breed Does ? Why Not With Local Breeds Of Does & High Breeds Of Bucks ??? Specifically If The Purpose Of Breeding Is Meat !!! Doesn't Marketing A Local Breed Would Be Comparatively Easier Locally As Compared High Cost Breeds ???
4) Do U Really Think For Starters Castration Of Male Kids Is Locally Possible ... I Mean The Expertise !!!
5) Why Should A Starter Invest Hugely On Land for Stall Fed System ??? I Mean Come On Its Business ... Just To Allow The Goats Have Merry-time Strolling Around & Lazying Around ! Its Always Good To Have Some Space But Don't Cows & Buffalo's Milk In 100% Stall Fed System Tied 365 Days !!!
I Would Be Highly Obliged If U Can Be Of Help In Addressing Above Points !!!

Thanks, Vikram
Lucknow (UP)
 

Business Opportunities in Agriculture: 150 Field Interviews (Book)

smy82482

New Member
Dear Vikram,
1.Goats are being reared only after considering the availability of fodder requirement.Before starting a farm you have to first cultivate the fodder,or should have enough land for grazing purpose.If you wont have any of these source then you cant breed the goats,or it will be foolish thing to purchase and breed the goats even though you wont have any fodder source.It will be not be profitable at all to purchase the fodder from market and fed the goats for 365days.To achieve a profit from goat breeding you must have your own source of fodder,if you don't have such source then its recommended to not to go for goat breeding.
2.The hydroponic fodder(natural resource) is 3-4 times more costlier as compare to natural fodder that obtain by cultivating in your own farm land.
3.Yes one cant start with local does,but to achieve more weight gain in lesser time people rear these high breed does,on commercial level so as to increase the profit rate.
4.Yes castration is easily possible at local places.,its a simple process and requires less than 5 min to castrate a single buck.Veterinary doctors or compounders will castrate the buck at the cost of 10rs per buck at govt.polyclinics.
5.You can buy the land on lease purpose for growing green fodder.In stall feed system goats are not kept as similar to cows and buffaloes,goats have lots of space to move around in shed and the main thing is that the goat shed is totally different from buffalo shed or poultry shed,but the people have started goat farming by building a shed as that of cows,buffaloes or poultry(on ground) and that's the main reason for failure and losses in goat farming.Due to this lots of people have closed their shed due to heavy losses as they had started goat farming without having any proper scientific knowledge of breeding goats as they have use the concept of shed and feeding which are used in dairy or poultry farms.Before starting a goat farm one must have to earn proper practical knowledge on goat farming and not the theoretical knowledge which is obtain by reading books or surfing on internet.
Regards,
DR.Shaikh
International Goat Farm Expert
www.goatfarm.co.in
www.goatfarming.net

Agreed To U On Viability Of Goat Rearing Business ... I Have Been Considering Starting This Since Last 2 Years ... But There Are Few Points On Which I Have Been Undecided Yet !!! Have Read Different Views On These Issues, If U Can Clarify !!!

1) How Do U Tackle The Issue Of Non-Availability Of Green Fodders ? I Mean for People Who Do Not Have Sufficient Land To Cultivate Green Fodder Nor There Is Availability Of Grazing Pastures etc.
2) How Viable Is Hydroponics fodder system??? Cost Wise Considering We Avoid Automatic/Semi Automatic Fodder Machines & Do It On Locally Available Resources.
3) Why Should A Person Start Professional Goat Rearing With High Breed Does ? Why Not With Local Breeds Of Does & High Breeds Of Bucks ??? Specifically If The Purpose Of Breeding Is Meat !!! Doesn't Marketing A Local Breed Would Be Comparatively Easier Locally As Compared High Cost Breeds ???
4) Do U Really Think For Starters Castration Of Male Kids Is Locally Possible ... I Mean The Expertise !!!
5) Why Should A Starter Invest Hugely On Land for Stall Fed System ??? I Mean Come On Its Business ... Just To Allow The Goats Have Merry-time Strolling Around & Lazying Around ! Its Always Good To Have Some Space But Don't Cows & Buffalo's Milk In 100% Stall Fed System Tied 365 Days !!!
I Would Be Highly Obliged If U Can Be Of Help In Addressing Above Points !!!

Thanks, Vikram
Lucknow (UP)
 

Business Opportunities in Agriculture: 150 Field Interviews (Book)

santoshchav

New Member
Hi Dr.Shaikh.
Do you remember me,this is santosh from nagpur an It production Mannager,visited your farm recently to earn some knowledge regarding goat farming.I m really very thankful to you for explaining me the practcical details of goat farming,which i have never got in my life while searching at many places from last 3 years.Seriously i never got such information and real facts of goat rearing from any one before you in my life,even though i have travelled from delhi to kanyakumari.Hats off to you for your practical goat rearing experience,and deep knowledge of 351 goat breeds of world.Me and my father really got impressed and learn many things after visiting your farm.You are really a goat guru and you deserve the honour of International Goat Expert.
Santosh Chavan
 

Business Opportunities in Agriculture: 150 Field Interviews (Book)

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