Extension Education Wing of the city-based College of Fisheries held a programme to train about 50 enterprising farmers in goat farming recently at Bellare village, Sullia.
Progressive goat farmer Ramesh Bhat Bharanya of Panaje told the trainees that he started goat farming two years ago with just three Malbar goats and now, he had 35. Each adult goat was sold for Rs. 4,000 and kid for Rs.1,500. Besides, the milk yield of 1.5 litres to 2.5 litres a day by each goat was easily achievable, he said. According to him, Jamunapyare is the most promising breed for Dakshina Kannada.
Inaugurating the training, Assistant Director of Animal Husbandry M.N. Rajanna said that goat farming was highly profitable and several farmers in the district had become successful in this venture.
A press release issued by the College of Fisheries said that Mr. Rajanna called upon farmers to take to goat farming to augment their incomes. One of the resource persons, B.K. Suryanarayan, Veterinary Officer, highlighted the scope of goat farming and explained the various schemes and benefits available in Animal Husbandry Department and wished that farmers benefited from them.
Dean of the college Y. Basavaraju advised the farmers to utilise the grants available under different government schemes and adopt scientific methods of farming. A documentary on goat farming was screened and the trainees were taken on a field visit to the goat farm of a progressive farmer, Mahadev Bhat of Bellare village, the press release said.
S.M. Shivaprakash, professor and Head, Extension Education Wing of the college, welcomed the gathering.
The college had organised the event, in association with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Farmers Association of Bellare.
