AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

LIVE-STOCK

The importance of live-stock in the agricultural economy need not be emphasised. It is a valuable asset to the farmer, perhaps as alike to anybody else in the rural parts of the district, which gives it an indispensable place in the rural economy of the district. The live-stock can be broadly classified into bovine, ovine and poultry population. Bovine includes cattle and buffaloes, ovine covers sheep and goats and poultry is comprised of ducks and fowls. Horses, mules and asses form another important class constituting agricultural live-stock of the district. A farmer usually keeps a pair of bullocks, a few cows and a small poultry. A little better class of farmers is found to keep buffaloes. The particular communities such as the beldars and the vadaris are seen to have horses and mules but more commonly the asses. In fact, a beldar or a vadari without an ass is an uncommon sight Similarly, it is familiar to see a small poultry with most non vegetarian inhabitants in the district. Thus, live-stock has been a part and parcel of rural life. Yet, people in the district do nor seem to have inculcated in them, anything beyond a work-a-day attitude. They keep with them agricultural, wealth, not because they desire to profit by doing so, but because they cannot dispense with it. They keep cows and she-buffaloes as' milch animals, bullocks and he-buffaloes as draught or as breeding animals and poultry for flesh and eggs.

The live-stock of the district numbers over eleven lakhs of animals according to the live-stock census of 1955-56:―

TABLE No. 76

LIVE-STOCK, KOLABA (1955-56)

TABLE No. 76 -contd.

LIVE-STOCK, KOLABA (1955-56)

Bovines.

Bullocks and he-buffaloes are mainly used for the heavier agricultural operations on the farm, while cows and she-buffaloes are kept mainly for milk production. Bullocks are the common animals in use for farm work and their large number is only an indication of their relative importance in carrying out agricultural operations and rural transportation. Yet, many farmers do not have their own draft animals and have hence to hire them out from big landlords (savkars) in return for a few maunds of paddy or the like. Similarly, the farmer is also found to accept young ones of cows and she-buffaloes from the savkar on the terms that the former will be allowed to retain milk production after first calving for his own use provided that he would maintain the animal, feed it with proper care and return it back with its second progeny to the savkar. The animal is thus said to have been given on "posan" meaning thereby that its maintenance is entrusted to the other party on specific conditions. The farmer is also found to borrow draught animals, more especially the bullocks, from the savkar, on the condition that he will use the animal at agricultural operations and return it back to the owner as soon as the agricultural season is over. In return for this, the borrower is usually asked to pay a few maunds of paddy to the savkar. The animal thus lent is said to have been given on "vafa" meaning thereby that its maintenance has been entrusted to the borrower during a certain period in which he is authorised to use the animal at agricultural operations. Yet, it may be said in general that there is an acute dearth of a professional outlook and what guides the people here in keeping the agricultural wealth in gigantic numbers is perhaps a sentimental hearing towards the problem. A majority of the population of the district is comprised of the Hindus. A few farmers may seem to be averse to castrating the bullocks, while many others may disapprove the use of cows for draught purposes but one and all will unanimously resent the bare idea of despatching them to slaughter-houses. Thus, economic considerations seem to be flouted by religious ones. But apart from this, what special efforts do the farmers take in keeping the cattle? Probably, the answer is in the negative. For, more often than not, especially in the summer time when the farmer's fodder resources are all depleted, the cattle are left to pick the scrub. Usually, the farmers are found to look after milch and draught animals with a special care as regards their feed, while dry, old and worthless animals are kept, till they die a natural death. This affects adversely the health of the animals with the result that the progeny becomes weak. The milch capacity of female animals and the draught power of male animals have gone down in the past few years. Thus, the problem is two-fold. On the one hand exists a large number of dry animals and on the other, remains a small number of the existing milch animals with a poor milking capacity.

The cattle belong chiefly to imported varieties, the most important among them being the Dangi and the Khillar besides some local non-descript varieties. Among the buffaloes, the Surati and the Delhi varieties are the most commonly found in the district. The cost of a pair of Khillar animals ranges from Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,000, while a Dangi pair costs from Rs. 300 to Rs. 400. Delhi buffaloes can be purchased at a price varying between Rs. 600 and Rs. 800, while local non-descript milch buffalo can be bad for about half that price.

Ovines.

In addition to bovines, the district has a large number of ovines usually kept for wool, hair, skins and flesh. It has been the usual practice of the farmers to keep a few sheep and goats along with the cattle on the farm for the purpose of refuse which serves as a good compost for any crop. In the district, goats obtain in a larger number than sheep, probably because the latter do not acclimatize this region. Excepting the persons belonging to the dhangar community, people generally do not prefer to keep sheep with them. In. many villages,. the milk of a she-goat is used-for domestic consumption, while it is also apprised as a tonic for health. The milking capacity of the animal is by nature poor. Yet, a good she-goat is often said to give as much or even more milk than a poor cow in the district. Besides, the animal fetches a good price for its flesh in the market. Like the cattle, a she-goat is hired out on a "Posan" basis, whereby the owner of the animal hands it over to the herdsman who undertakes to maintain it on certain terms as may be agreed upon.

Horses, mules and asses are not used for agricultural operations, although they are found to be very useful in drawing transport vehicles and as pack animals. Naturally, the farmers are rarely Seen to keep these animals. Asses are a great asset to the persons belonging to the beldar and vadari communities who, being engaged in the stone-cutting and other like operations which are usually worked in the hot sun, find the animals the best suited for the purpose. They do not require to be looked after with special care as tne cattle can withstand heat perhaps much better than other animals. The use of asses is so much familiar with these people, that it would not be exaggerating to say that their habitations are almost found to co-exist with these animals.

Poultr.

Poultry consists of fowls and ducks, which are valued for their flesh and eggs. Both the products have a good demand in the market. With the increasing consumption of eggs either as food or as medicine, the importance of poultry is growing in the course of time. Poultry-farming has been an important cottage industry in rural areas, but here also the farmer seems to possess a work-a-day and traditional attitude. Perhaps, people maintain poultry, not because they want it to provide them with a subsidiary source of livelihood, but because they need not have to pay for their own requirements. Furthermore, poultry does not require to be attended to with special care, since the birds can be let loose to pick their food on a backyard or on a dung-hill and in the night time caught in wooden baskets and cupboards (khurade) often specially prepared for the purpose. Government desire that the development of poultry, if pursued on scientific lines, should aim at providing a subsidiary means of livelihood to the people whose principal occupation fails to assure them a subsistence. The Government supply cocks and hatching eggs, grant loans and subsidies, open up poultry training classes, poultry shows and rallies, establish poultry farms and finally, render technical advice in respect of poultry management, feeding and sanitation, etc. Yet, the people do not seem to have responded to these schemes up to the expectation of the Government, since very few poultry farms which can supply quality birds, seem to have been opened up by private individuals.

Sources of supply

The district imports pure cattle like Khillar, Dangi bulls and Surati, Pandharpuri and Murrah buffaloes from the neighbouring districts like Nasik and Poona. Generally, cultivators attend the fairs held at these places and buy the animals they require for milk or for draught purposes.

There are thirteen veterinary dispensaries in the district located at Alibag, Panvel, Karjat, Khalapur, Roha, Mahad, Mangaon, Mhasla, Matheran, Pen, Uran, Shriwardhan and Poladpur. Livestock from the surrounding villages is brought to the respective centres for medical treatment.

Breeding.

The Government have introduced a number of cattle improvement schemes in the district. Thus, according to the premium bull scheme, five pure-bred Dangi bulls, three at Kanjarwadi and two at Salve in the Karjat taluka, have been located in the intensive cattle breeding zones in order to help upgrading of the village cattle. Similarly, under the supplementary cattle breeding centre scheme, the farmers are encouraged to maintain pure-bred cows and buffaloes. The scheme applies to a group of villages having a cattle population of a thousand heads. It can be granted fifty pure-bred cows and five pure-bred bulls on a subsidy basis. Besides, the Government have also opened up one supplementary cattle breeding centre at Vaijanath in Karjat taluka. Under the Goshala development scheme, private Goshalas and Panjarpoles are given help by the Government in the form of pure bred stock. The Panjarpole Gorakshan Sanstha, Panvel, has been selected for the purpose and granted ten cows and one bull of Dangi breed. Besides, there is one artificial insemination centre at Karjat. However, cultivators have shown a poor response to the insemination and breeding facilities offered by the Government. For, the animals are rarely tied during the year and allowed to graze and find feed for themselves. The cattle in the district get fodder which consists of rice straw known as "pendha" and grass. The animals are also exposed to the heavy precipitation of showers during the rainy season. Furthermore, on account of the poor economic condition, the farmers can hardly afford to maintain the animals with justice. All these factors have held up the progress of the various schemes which are being introduced by the Government from time to time and the accomplishment of the ultimate target of upgrading the quality of village cattle seems yet to be far off. The Government have also put poultry development schemes in operation. Thus, pure-bred cocks of improved Leghorn and Rhode Island Red kinds are supplied for grading rural poultry so as to help increase the production and better the quality of eggs. In 1958-59, 47 cocks were supplied at concessional rates. The demand for birds is chiefly met from the poultry breeding station, Kirkee. However, people do not seem to exploit these schemes to the fullest advantage.

Products.

The live-stock owes its importance in the agricultural economy to the fact that it contributes products of great utility. Female cattle and buffaloes as well as goats are valued for the production of milk, although the capacity to yield milk, of the various animals, differs widely. It is common knowledge that a she buffalo gives milk more than a cow. Yet, a she-buffalo has not gained popularity among the people despite its higher milking capacity due to the fact that its maintenance involves an expenditure which very few can afford. A cow yields on an average 225 pounds and a she-buffalo 375 pounds of milk per annum. The annual output of milk for the entire district, if assessed at this rate, works out to nearly 1,500 tons worth forty-two lakhs of rupees. The birds such as hens and ducks are valued for their eggs. The yield of eggs per bird averages sixty units and calculated at this rate, the production of eggs can be assessed at roundabout 126 lakhs units worth approximately sixteen lakhs rupees annually. Wool is extracted from sheep, although its production is negligible and may be said to be worth not more than two thousand rupees per annum. All the live-stock except birds gives refuse which is an esteemed manure for all crops. The rate of manure usually obtains at five cart-loads in the case of a bovine head, a horse and an ass, one-fifth cart-load per sheep and one-tenth cart-load each in the case of a goat and a donkey. The total production of manure can be estimated at about 25 lakhs of cart-loads worth fifty lakhs rupees per annum, most of which is used for tabbing purpose. Besides, hides, skins, horns, bones, etc., can also be had from dead animals which command a good price in the market. Thus, the total value of live-stock products in the entire district can be estimated at a little more than one crore rupees per annum.

Prices.

Prices of live-stock vary in accordance with the condition of the supply of the animals in the market, although variations obtain within certain limits. The live-stock products, too, show a similar change in their selling rates from time to time. Thus, eggs are sold at a higher price in the winter than in the other two seasons. Furthermore, products such as eggs, milk, etc., which are used for domestic consumption are largely perishable and have to be disposed of without delay. Due to the absence of good transport or storing facilities, the live-stock products cannot be despatched to any distant market where they can fetch a better price. This places a number of villages in a disadvantageous position and almost shuts them out from distant towns owing to transport bottlenecks. The following table gives the price of live-stock and live-stock products in 1955-56:―

TABLE No. 77

PRICE OF LIVE-STOCK, KOLABA (1955-56)

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