The Gazetteers Department

Live-stock forms an important part of the agricultural economy as the agriculturist is still dependent on the live-stock wealth to a great extent. Cattle continues to be a valuable possession of the farmers. A farmer generally keeps a pair of bullocks, a few sheep and goats, cows, etc. Bulls and he-buffaloes are considered as breeding animals whereas cows are a source of milk which is highly in demand. Live stock also provides much organic manure used on the farms.

The live-stock of the district can be grouped as bovine, ovine and poultry population. Horses, mules and asses also form an important class of live-stock. Most of the animals are of a non-descript variety. The sheep are of poor breed and are usually kept for wool, skin, and meat. Though more costly than poultry keeping, sheep rearing provides a profitable side-business to the farmers. Horses and asses are mostly used for purpose of transport. Horses are yoked to tongas. Ponies are kept in the rural areas where bullock carts are not easily available for transportation. Asses are mostly owned by the Vadar community to carry heavy loads.

The following table shows tahsil-wise distribution of live stock in the district.

TABLE No. 24

Live-stock Population of Akola District

District/Tahsil	Year	Cattle			Total Cattle
District/Tahsil	Year	Males over 3 years	Females over 3 years	Young Stock	Total Cattle
1	2	3	4	5	6
District Total	1951	1,87,000	1,67,800	1,50.900	5,05,700
	1956	2,17,800	1,83,500	1,74,100	5,75,400
	1961	2,19,800	1,81,500	1,64,100	5.65,400
	1966	2,25,213	1,91,824	1,45,943	5,62,982
Tahsil
Akot	1956	28,100	22,300	24,500	74,900
	1961	29,400	21,000	20,700	71,100
	1966	24,962	29,565	22,812	79,339
Balapur	1956	27,700	26,000	20,300	74,000
	1961	28,600	23,600	17,700	69,900
	1966	26,980	24,694	16,063	67,739
Akola	1956	41,100	32,400	31,800	1,05,300
	1961	39,900	32,000	30,800	1,02,700
	1966	40,792	37,967	26,014	1,04,773
Murtizapur	1956	32,200	24,100	25,100	81,400
	1961	30,800	23,600	23,900	78,300
	1966	34,140	24,401	22,854	81,395
Mangrulpir	1956	32,800	31,100	27,400	91,300
	1961	34,400	33,600	27,200	95,200
	1966	36,209	28,838	22,417	87,464
Washim	1956	55,900	47,600	45,000	1,48.500
	1961	56,700	47,700	43,800	1,48,200
	1966	60,130	46,359	35,783	1,42,272

TABLE No. 24-contd.

Live-stock Population of Akola District

Buffaloes			Total Buffaloes	Sheep	Goats	Horses and Ponies	Other livestock
Males over 3 years	Females over 3 years	Young Stock	Total Buffaloes	Sheep	Goats	Horses and Ponies	Other livestock
7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
2,500	44,400	22,700	69,600	15,600	86,200	6,200	7,300
2,400	47,700	31,200	81,300	87,800	1,50,700	6,400	8,900
2,300	52,400	35,900	90,600	47,800	1,49,700	4,100	7,600
3,299	58,087	29,532	91,518	26,760	1,60,497	4,981	8,884
300	6,300	3,900	10,500	42,100	24,400	1,200	1,500
300	7,000	4,100	11,400	14,300	19,400	500	1,000
361	7,245	4,058	11,664	8,515	25,180	785	1,308
300	6,000	3,500	9,800	23,600	24,000	800	800
300	6,100	6,800	13,200	17,600	22,400	1,000	900
476	5,747	2,823	9,046	1,159	12,169	441	1,354
500	9,800	5,400	15,700	7,700	28,700	1,000	1,500
300	10,800	5,600	16,700	11,900	28,500	700	900
619	14,250	5,299	20,768	4,572	31,908	1,393	1,285
300	6,800	4,700	11,800	9,700	22,600	1,600	1,400
300	7,200	4,800	12,300	500	22,800	800	1,100
586	7,703	4,443	12,732	8,310	28,832	1,017	1,025
300	6,900	4,700	11,400	1,400	26,600	700	900
400	7,500	5,200	13,100	500	24,700	500	1,000
447	7,972	4,589	13,008	1,144	32,694	581	1,227
700	12,400	9,000	22,100	3,300	24,400	1,100	2,800
700	13,800	9,400	23,900	3,000	31,900	600	2,700
810	15,170	8,320	24,300	2,990	29,714	764	2,685

There were 8.6 lakhs live-stock in the district in 1961, the percentage of which worked at 45 live-stock per 100 acres of cultivated land. The corresponding average for the Stale was 139. The total bovine population in 1961 was 75.82 per cent of the total live-stock. The number of male bovines over 3 years was 22 lakhs. The area cultivated per pair of male bovines over 3 years was thus 17.15 acres as against the average of 5 48 acres for the State. There were 2.4 lakhs female bovines over 3 years and their ratio worked at 203 per 1,000 population, winch was higher than the average for the State (159).

Considerable increase occurred in each type of live-stock during the period from 1951 to 1956 but there was a small diminution in the live-Mock population in the next five years except buffaloes. However, the total live-stock increased by 25.28 per cent during the period from 1951 to 1961. There was again a slight decrease in the live-stock population in the year 1966 as compared to the year 1961. The total bovine population enumerated in 1961 Census was 8,65,198 as against 8,59,993 recorded in 1966 which showed a decrease of barely one per cent in 1966 over that in 1961. The live-stock per hectare of cultivable land in 1966 was as follows: ---

Tahsil	Live-stock in use per hectare of cultivable land
Tahsil	1961	1966
Akola	0.25	0.26
Akot	0.22	0.20
Balapur	0.25	0.25
Washim	0.28	0.29
Mangrulpir	0.27	0.29
Murtizapur	0.31	0.26

The statement shows that in 1961 live-stock per hectare of population was the highest in Murtizapur and the lowest in Akot tahsil. Similarly, if was the highest in 1966 in Washim and Mangrulpir tahsils and the lowest in Akot tahsil.

Poultry: There is a considerable scope for poultry development in the district. It is kept for meat and eggs. The poultry population mainly consists of fowls and ducks and belongs to deshi and other non-descript variety. The propaganda and demonstration work is carried on by the Animal Husbandry Officer and other subordinate staff at block level. Loans and subsidies are granted to the interested persons from the block development fund. There is one District Poultry Breeding Station at Akola with two poultry demonstration centres working at Akot and Washim. The following table gives the ratio of poultry per mille of persons and the poultry population in the district in the years 1956, 1961 and 1966.

TABLE No. 25

Poultry Population in the District

District / Tahsil	Ratio of poultry per mille of persons		Live-stock Census
	Ratio of poultry per mille of persons		1956	1961	1966
	1961	1966	1956	1961	1966
District Total	12.8	114.3	1,17,200	1,74,900	1,35,942
Tahsils :
Akot	145.6	98.4	14,400	28,000	18,927
Balapur	141.3	73.6	16,000	21,100	10,968
Akola	107.0	86.7	20,600	31,100	25,200
Murtizapur	144.10	160.5	23,900	25,200	28,059
Mangrulpir	189.8	200.0	20,500	25,700	27,103
Washim	176.9	103.7	21,600	43,800	25,685

Dairy Conditions : Investigations carried out by the Dairy Development Commissioner, Nagpur Division, revealed the fact that the district provides ample scope for the development of dairy.

In 1960-61, one dairy union and 5 milk supply societies were organised in the district. The union had membership of 11 societies and had Rs. 1,000 as paid-up capital. The combined membership of the milk supply societies was 95 individuals and the paid up capital Rs. 12,000. The societies received Rs. 2,000 as loan from the Government in 1960-61. Milk worth Rs. 44,000 was sold during the same period. Three societies made a profit valued at Rs. 3,000 and two suffered a loss amounting to Rs. 1,000.

Veterinary facilities : Veterinary facilities and some important schemes under implementation in the district are described in the following paras :

Cattle Breeding Farm.--The cattle breeding farm operates at Borgaon, a village about thirteen miles from Akola, wherein Hariyana breed cows are maintained with a view to develop the breed and undertake selective breeding.

District Premium Bull Scheme :-—Under this scheme 95 Hariyana bulls have been provided to farmers who have devoted their interest in the improvement of cattle. These bulls are supplied either on monthly payment of maintenance subsidy of Rs. 30 or supply of bull on half cost basis.

Supplementary Cattle Breeding Centres. — With a view to undertake selective breeding in the group villages of cattle zone, four supplementary cattle breeding centres have been established either on payment of maintenance charges of Rs. 30 per month or purchase of bulls at half cost. Nineteen breeding bulls and 148 cows of breeding age of Hariyana breed have been supplied for rearing pure breed progeny.

Artificial Insemination Centres.—In order to adopt the modern technique of improving of live-stock by artificial insemination method, an artificial insemination centre has been established at Akola through which semen of outstanding bulls kept at this centre is supplied to the ten artificial insemination sub-centres established in the district for improvement in local live-stock.

Key Village Scheme.—The scheme is a part of intensive development programme in thickly populated group of villages, under which improvment of live-stock is adopted by artificial insemination method as well as by natural service. In addition, improved varieties of grass are supplied to cattle breeders for cultivation of highly nutritious grasses and pastures for livestock. Two key village centres, one at Akola and the other at Washim, with six key village units, have been established in the district. The work undertaken during the last three years is shown in the following statement.

Number	1965-66	1966-67	1967-68
1 Inseminations	1,638	2,065	1,858
2. Natural services	1,903	1,688	1,614
3. Castrations performed in key village blocks	1,110	1,208	1,085
4. Vaccinations	34,155	27,452	33,472
5. Cases treated	3,908	3,912	3,204
6. Sets of fodder supplied	N. A.	N. A.	10,000

Goshala Development Scheme. — Two goshalas, one at Akola and the other at Kurum (Murtizapur tahsil) have been selected for improvement under the goshala development scheme of the Government of India on annual payment of grant-in-aid.

Mutton Production Scheme. In order to popularise sheep rearing as a secondary occupation to farmers, nine supplementary sheep breeding centres have been established under the mutton production scheme under which 572 ewes and 70 rams of Deccani, Patanwadi, Bikaneri, Bannur and Belore breeds have been supplied to 70 cultivators

Poultry Development Work.- There is one district poultry breeding station at Akola with two poultry demonstration centres at Akot and Washim. The intensive poultry development block has also been established at Akola to meet the requirements of poultry keepers in respect of hatching eggs, supply of poultry feed, training in housing, management of poultry keeping on scientific lines etc.

Pig- Development Work. —The Yorkshire breed of pigs numbering 39 (24 males and 15 females) have been supplied to 13 units for rearing of pigs under this scheme.

Veterinary Section.—There are 13 full-fledged veterinary dispensaries and 52 veterinary aid centres, of which 5 are under the control of the Zilla Parishad and 8 are run by the municipalities. The following statement shows the number of veterinary dispensaries and veterinary aid centres in the district.

Tahsil	Veterinary dispensaries	Veterinary aid centres
Akola	2	9
Akot	2	10
Balapur	2	7
Washim	3	10
Mangrulpir	2	7
Murtizapur	2	9
Total	13	52

The work turned out at the veterinary dispensaries, is as follows. --

	1966-67	1967-68
Cases treated	1,97,649	1,22,133
Castrations performed	12,323	8,689
Preventive vaccinations	1,57,693	1,50,981

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