Nearly 5,000 young ones have been born of goats/sheep given under the State government's scheme of free distribution of goats/sheep to the poorest of the poor.
Implemented since September 15, the scheme envisages the distribution of four goats/sheep to one lakh families each in the current financial year and to 1.5 lakh families from the next year.
So far, 80,000 beneficiaries have been covered and 3.2 lakh animals distributed.
Of the offspring population, Namakkal accounts for 750; Erode – 632; Pudukottai – 415; Karur – 344 and Villupuram 307, according to an official. The birth of the young ones makes a difference to the beneficiaries, who will, hereafter, be able to sell them after rearing them for six months.
As per the current market rate, a six-month-old goat of five kg can fetch at least Rs. 2,000. The authorities are making arrangements for de-worming and vaccination doses to the animals at regular intervals.
