Small Ruminant Production in India

Two- third of world's poor live in Asia below defined poverty lines and more than 65 % of them are poor livestock keepers deriving their economic sustenance from small ruminant rearing. Small and marginal farmers or land less labors with negligible land holding for conventional agriculture rely on livestock, particularly small ruminant rearing for their sustenance. Sheep and goat rearing is less capital intensive operated by employing surplus family labor or women and children on community rangeland under extensive range management. Agro-climatically large part of the country is semiarid and arid where conventional agriculture is always a gamble due to erratic rain and frequent failure of monsoon hence livestock particularly small ruminant play pivotal role in agrarian economy. Sheep were earlier reared for wool as the major produce while with paradigm shift in agriculture meat has replaced wool. More than 70 % Indian consumers are non vegetarian by choice with preference for sheep and goat meat. With rapid urbanization and improvement in economic status, the demand for meat is likely to increase further than the present level of 6 kg/person/year. Moreover the demand for meat in southern states, J & K and export market is increasing rapidly requiring development of technology to meet the challenge. The advantage of large population size, comparatively leaner meat yield suited for elite calorie conscious consumers, organic production, increasing demand of domestic market and export avenues due render the venture promising for investment by entrepreneurs. Various system of small ruminant production is practiced world over while the existing system of extensive range management and developed system of grazing with supplementation and intensive feeding has relevance in Indian context. Moreover under extensive range management the small ruminants are practically reared on organic production system hence their produce can fetch premium price in high-end domestic and international markets. The need of the day is to increase carcass weight and reproductive efficiency with a strategy to produce more quality meat/animal. Additionally to cater to the need of international market and safeguard consumers interest the codex of Good Animal Feed Practices (GFPs), Good Hygiene Practices (GHPS), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and development of Cold Chain system has to be given due weightage. In order to increase the small ruminant production time targeted programs on improving growth rate, feed conversion efficiency and carcass quality with concomitant reduction in cost of feed input/kg live weight gain has to taken up on priority. Along with efforts should be made for improving production efficiency, feed supplies, value addition of dressed meat, slaughter by product utilization and development of heat and eat quality cousins to render the venture profitable. In light of importance of the issue, the present topic of winter School on "Small ruminant production system for commercial mutton production and value addition to augment income generation" has relevance in enhancing quality meat in the country and earning of the sheep farmers. The information contained in compilation has practical relevance to scientists and teachers involved in researches to enhance meat production as well as progressive farmers and entrepreneurs in commercializing the venture. The compilation will serve as a repository of information on meat production and its value addition in India.