It may not be easy for the State government to supply sheep at subsidised cost to the Golla Kurma or shepherd community in the State under its programme to uplift it economically. Teams of officials from Adilabad district which recently went scouting for the animals to Maharashtra found that the number available is grossly inadequate to meet the target and whatever number can be purchased, will be costlier than the price fixed by the government.
The State government has planned to supply 20 sheep and a ram, making up a unit, at 75 % subsidy to individual unemployed shepherds above the age of 18 years who are members of shepherd societies. In the first phase, half the number of eligible members of societies will be supplied with the grazing animals, the unit cost being ₹ 1.25 lakh including transit insurance.
According to the Integrated Husehold Survey or the Samagra Kutumba Survey (SKS) of 2014, Adilabad could see a demand for over 1,780 units which translates to over 37,000 sheep. The actual requirement however, will be known on May 21 soon after societies and individuals register themselves and apply for the scheme which will take off from June 20.
Sheep population
Adilabad has been alloted the Maharashtra districts of Washim, Akola, Buldhana, Jalgaon, Dhule, Jalna, Beed and Osmanabad to source the animals. “The sheep population in these districts is 5.7 lakh of which we need only about 8% to meet our requirement as per the SKS,” pointed out Adilabad Joint Director, Animal Husbandry, Rathod Rama Rao.
“The cumulative population of sheep in all these districts may be much below 1 lakh,” countered a member of the team which had visited Maharashtra. “They will sell only the unproductive from these at the rate of 1,000 animals per week which involves middlemen,” he added, summing up his experience.
“We have asked for one more district, Aurangabad, to be allotted for purchase of sheep,” Mr. Rama Rao revealed of the initiative taken after the scouting teams submitted their reports. “And there is no scope for use of middlemen,” he asserted.
Higher price
A member of another team said the cost of animals in the neighbouring State will be a prohibitive aspect too. “Good sheep could cost anywhere between ₹ 8,000 to ₹10,000 each and the ram could cost ₹15,000 to ₹16,000 against a government fixed price of ₹5,000 for a sheep and ₹8,000 for a ram,” he stated recalling from the conversation he had with a Dhangar shepherd in one of the Maharashtra districts.
“The animals cannot withstand long distance travel and June is the season of diseases and it is not advisable to bring sheep,” observed Enugula Veeraiah a shepherd from Kotha Kummariwada here.
“We will take adequate care while transporting the animals and after landing them,” the Animal Husbandry Joint Director sounded hopeful on this count.
