AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

LIVE-STOCK

Cattle play an important role in the district economy and forms an integral part of the rural landscape of the district. To the farmer, cattle are a valuable form of wealth. The live-stock plays a vital role in the agricultural economy of the district, because it not only supplies milk, meat, manure, bones, hides and skins, hoofs and horns but also serves as draught cattle for drawing carts, ploughs and is also used for drawing water. The livestock in the district could be divided into three classes such as (1) Bovine comprising cattle and buffaloes, (2) Ovine comprising sheep and goats, and (3) Others like horses and ponies, pigs and poultry.

A farmer usually keeps a pair of bullocks, a few cows and little poultry. Better class of farmers are found to keep buffaloes. Live-stock has been a part and parcel of rural life. Cows are maintained for production of good draught bullocks, cows and buffaloes for milk, whereas bullocks and he-buffaloes are kept as draught as well as breeding animals. Horses and ponies serve as pack animals. Sheep are reared for meat, manure and wool, while goats are used for milk and mutton. The live-stock population of Bhandara district as per the 1972 Census is as follows: —

The detailed tahsilwise classification of live-stock population as per the 1972 Census is shown in table No. 19:

TABLE No. 19

LIVE-STOCK POPULATION IN BHANDARA DISTRICT IN 1966 AND 1972.

Bovines.— The old Gazetteer of Bhandara district has the following to say about the cattle in the district: —

"Cattle are largely bred in the district and the local cattle are generally used for cultivation. The quality is however only fair except in the tract of country north of Tumsar, where there are one or two good breeds of cattle, one of which is locally esteemed nearly as highly as gaolao breed of Wardha. The fast trotting cattle used in tongas and chhak-ras are for the most part imported, but it is possible to find a pair of bullocks able to trot fairly well with tonga in almost every village. The working life of a bullock may be put to 8 to 10 years in the wheat country and 5 to 6 in rice. The bullocks in rice country are worse fed, and suffer from being continually worked in water. A good pair of local bullocks will cost about Rs. 60. Imported ones are about double that, and they sometimes run as high as Rs. 200. "

" Buffaloes are usually imported from Saugor, Damoh and Mandla, though there is a little local breeding. The females are kept for their milk and the ghi that is made from it, while the males are used for any form of extra heavy work such as wet ploughing in heavy soils or carting large timber. " ['Central Provinces District Gazetteers, Bhandara District, pp. 99—100. ]

Bullocks and he-buffaloes are mainly used for heavier agricultural operations on the farm while cows and she-buffaloes are kept mainly for milk production. Poorer farmers do not own draught animals and hence have to hire them out from big landlords. Most of the animals are of non-descript variety. Cows in villages do not yield much milk. However, the calf is allowed to suckle ad lib with a view to developing a healthy progeny. But mostly the cattle, except work bullocks and milch buffaloes are generally neglected with the result that the condition of cattle in general in the district is very poor.

Ovines.— Ovine animals, viz., goats and sheep are bred in the district, especially the former in large numbers. Goats are offered in the sacrifice at the beginning of cultivation and also at the festival of Shivratri. The flesh is generally eaten by the castes that eat meat. The flesh of sheep is also eaten, but its flesh is not so highly esteemed as that of goats. They are chiefly kept for their wool, which is made locally into blankets. It has been the usual practice of farmers to keep a few goats along with cattle on the farm for their droppings which serve as a good manure for any crop. The manure of both sheep and goats is highly valued by cultivators.

Horses, Ponies and Pigs.— Horses are not bred in the district. Horses and ponies numbered 509 in the year 1966, while pigs numbered 7,839 in the same year. Horses and ponies are not used for agricultural operations although they are found to be very useful in drawing transport vehicles and as pack animals.

Poultry.— Poultry comprises fowls and ducks which are valued for their flesh and eggs. Most of the birds are non-descript and belong to deshi variety. The keeping of poultry is an important cottage industry in rural areas. However, till recently farmers in Bhandara district did not look upon poultry farming as a subsidiary source of livelihood with the result that poultry farming is not practised on scientific lines and not much headway had been made in this direction. There are a few farmers who take to development of poultry and maintain birds of improved varieties such as white leghorn. People are now practising mixed farming methods and it is expected that cultivators in this district would make progress in the field of poultry improvement by availing themselves of numerous facilities extended by the Government.

Sources of supply.— The most common source of supply of cattle is the weekly markets which are held throughout the district. There are three big cattle markets at Amgaon, Kati and Lakhandur which are being held every week, where animals of Gaolao breed and buffaloes from Nagpur and Wardha districts are brought for sale. The average price of a bullock is between Rs. 100 and Rs. 600, and that of a buffalo between Rs. 100 and Rs. 300.

Sources of Fodder supply.— The district is itself sufficient in respect of fodder for cattle. There are a number of forest grass lands in the district from which green grass and hay is supplied. ' Cattle are grazed through the rains and cold weather and are also given rice straw (tanas) and juar stalks (karbi). In the hot weather the grazing fails, and towards the end of hot weather as a rule only juar stalks (chiefly of ringni juar) remain. If the rains are much delayed the supply of this fodder becomes very scanty. Plough bullocks are given grain and also oil-cake and mahua for a month or two before the working season and while they are in hard work. Fast trotting bullocks (generally the property of well-to-do people) get grain all the year round. The grain is usually gram, but wheat, bran, and lakhori, are also given. Salt is given to all bullocks at Pola and Diwali, but at other times only valuable trotting bullocks get salt [Central Provinces District Gazetteers Bhandara District, pp. 99—100. ]. Cultivators produce fodder in their farms, mostly kadbi which they get from jowar. They also get kutar (chaff) from cereals and pulses. Progressive cultivators serve green jowar fodder to the milch and work cattle as it is very nutritious.

Live-stock Products.— Live-stock products in the district comprise milk, eggs, skins and hides, wool, manures, etc. The milk yield per cow is small but the number of milching cows being large the daily average milk yield in the district is quite large and more than what could be normally consumed. A large quantity of the daily produce of milk is converted into ghee. The good yield of milk has encouraged the preparation of palatable sweets. There is also good scope for the development of poultry in this district. The vast Adiwasi population keeps poultry as a rule. Trade in skins and hides and wool product is not well organised in the district and admits expansion.

Animal Husbandary-Veterinary and Breeding Facilities.— The primary role of the Animal Husbandry Department in the district is of two fold: (i) Improvement of existing live-stock, cattle, sheep, poultry, pigs and multiplication of superior live-stock with scientific breeding and (ii) treatment of sick animals and prevention of contagious diseases through the medium of veterinary aid, elimination of scrub-bulls by launching castration programme and rendering technical advice to the private enterprises in particular and to agriculturists in general. The following are the schemes in operation in the district at present.

Premium Bull Scheme.—The district premium bull scheme is gradually being introduced in the district. Under the scheme bulls of Gaolao breed are located with the farmers. A farmer who purchases an approved bull is paid in lump sum. A subsidy is also given towards the maintenance of the bull. The scheme is proving popular and there is a considerable demand for such bulls from the panchayat samitis. The bulls are located in contiguous groups of five or ten villages each. Under the Premium Bull Scheme which is in operation in the district, 136 bulls have been supplied since 1962-63. Of these 18 bulls have been supplied from block funds. The number of breeding bulls by the end of March 1969 was 53.

Supplementary cattle Breeding Centres.—There are three supplementary cattle breeding centres established in the district with 10 breeding bulls and 106 cows of breedable age at the following places: —

Key Village Scheme and Artificial Insemination.—State pattern key village scheme was sponsored by the old Madhya Pradesh State, in 1951. Then the entire Vidarbha region was divided into different zones and different breed was assigned to each of them. Gaolao breed was prescribed for Bhandara district. Gaolao bulls are located in the villages for grading cattle.

The main feature of the State pattern key village centre was that in the group of about 10 villages, a village co-operative livestock improvement society was organised. The Veterinary Officer of the locality acted as its President and the Stockman its Secretary. The Vice-president and the Cashier used to be non-officials. Members of the executive body were drawn from the village populace. With the consent of villagers, a bull of the prescribed breed was located in each village with the bull keeper who was approved by the villagers. The villagers collected fodder and concentrates for maintaining the bull. The breeding services of the bull were free of charge. A Stockman was attached to each centre.

There is one Key Village Centre at Bhandara in the State sector with six key village units thereunder. This scheme envisages treatment of animals, castrations of scrub bulls, preventive vaccination, improvement of fodder and development of marketing facilities. The details of inseminations, natural service, castration, vaccination, etc., are as shown below.—

There are six artificial insemination sub-centres under the Local Sector. The number of inseminations carried out under these six artificial insemination sub-centres was 88 in 1966-67; 64 in 1967-68 and 154 in 1968-69.

In addition to the above, the following animal husbandry activities were introduced under the Bhandara Package Programme in State Sector in the district.

Breeding Bull Centres.—There are ten breeding bull centres in the district. Two Gaolao bulls are located at each centre for natural services. The details regarding the working of the centres are shown below: —

Intensive Cattle Development Scheme.—Twelve centres under intensive Cattle Development Scheme have been established in Bhandara district under which 633 cows and 58 bulls have been provided on monthly maintenance charges for natural services. These are supplied to bull agents under the supervision of livestock supervisor. The progress of work under this scheme is shown below: —

Poultry Development Scheme: There are two poultry demonstration centres in the district. One of them is at Bhandara and the other at Gondia. They function under the local sector for demonstration purposes for the benefit of poultry keepers. Under the Bhandara Package Programme Scheme, in the State Sector, birds of white leghorn and R.I.R. have been distributed on half-cost subsidy basis. So far 19,426 birds have been distributed.

Sheep Development Scheme: Under the emergency scheme for mutton production, the sheep development scheme was introduced in the district. Under the scheme ten ewes and one ram are distributed free of cost to the cultivators. So far 500 sheep and 50 rams have been distributed to the cultivators.

Veterinary Facilities.—In 1971-72, in Bhandara district there were one hospital, 13 full-fledged veterinary dispensaries and 51 vateri-nary aid centres for treatment of animals. Of these 13 veterinary dispensaries and a hospital three veterinary dispensaries located at Bhandara, Tumsar and Gondia are under the control of Municipalities and the rest are under Zilla Parishad, Bhandara. Besides, there were 18 artifical insemination centres in 1972-73, there being only one artificial insemination centre prior to 1972-73.

The work turned out at these dispensaries during the last three years is as follows: —

TOP