A recent study conducted by an evaluation team to asses the implementation of a special livestock scheme, Vidharbha Package, of the State government for the farmers of suicide-hit districts has revealed that the package helped improve the social and economic status of the farming community.
The package was implemented through the Animal Husbandry Department from 2006 to 2009 fiscal for the debt-ridden farmers in Palakkad, Wayanad, and Kasaragod districts with the financial assistance of the Central government.
The package worth Rs.44.74 crore envisaged to ensure alternative means of sustenance for the farmer, regular income for his family and to support those farmers whose agricultural operations had failed.
Comprehensive package
The comprehensive package consisted of induction of cattle, supply of feed, insurance coverage, medicines, artificial insemination, and calf rearing. As many as 8,992 cows were purchased under the package and each dairy unit with two cows were distributed to as many as 4,496 families.
The findings, based on a sample survey, revealed that the scheme had paved the way for achieving livelihood security among the farmers in all the three districts, S. Ramkumar, chairman of the team, told The Hindu .
The beneficiaries had improved in terms of asset status, better standard of living, educational status, food security, and income level, which reflected the success of the scheme in achieving its objectives, Dr. Ramkumar added. There was substantial improvement in the knowledge level of the farmers. Low suicide rates were evident from press reports and health authority records, T.P. Sethumadhavan, convener of the team, said.
Quality of life
Most of the respondent’s nutritional status was satisfactory and the educational status in the household improved significantly and many farmers adopted dairying for getting sustainable income, Dr. Sethumadhavan, who is also the Director of Entrepreneurship, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, added.
The team recommended the continuation of proactive steps to support the farmers in fodder production, feed subsidy, training, extension agency contact, and scientific feeding .
K.K. Seethamma, Professor and Head, Department of Economics, Bangalore University; N.K. Sudeep Kumar, Professor, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, were the other members of the team.
