Goat farming to add to their income

KOIDA(SUNDARGARH): Forced by declining returns from farming in ecologically fragile areas and virtually no regular labour-intensive jobs, several villagers have been taking to goat farming -- goatery. Goats ensure income to nearly 25 families of Bahamba village in Koida block.For these extremely poor families in the Maoist-infested block it was a modest beginning to make ends meet with the help of Barsuan Iron Mines (BIM) of SAIL.Around 30 BPL households in the remote village, located about 100 km from Rourkela, took up goat farming only recently amid virtually no job opportunities, little farmland and deteriorating soil fertility. Primarily daily wage earners, they failed to get work under various government welfare schemes too which forced them to opt for goat farming. One of the beneficiaries and ward member Maghu Naik said after a fall in mininwg activities and low agriculture productivity they are assured of at least some earning. Other villagers Siba Naik, Nirasa Naik and Bira Naik also echoed similar views. The beneficiaries were covered under the Income Generation Schemes of BIM to boost their family earnings, said BIM General Manager H Bara. Each of the families was supplied with two goats of good ‘Black Bengal Breed’ and the village head was given two rams to ensure mating. SAIL authorities took help of Chief District Veterinary Officer (CDVO) Nalini Dasmohapatra in procuring the livestock from Balishankara block. The goats are capable of breeding twice in 13 months, said Nalini adding that the goats had been immunised for a year and the process would be followed again.Koida BDO Parikshit Sethi hoped that the effort would enhance the financial condition of the poor villagers to a great extent. BIM Welfare Officer PK Das hoped that in 13 months each family would have nine or 10 goats and the number would continue to multiply.