Goat Farm economic feasibility

Goat Farm economic feasibility

Goats are very important species of livestock in India, mainly on account of their short generation intervals, higher rate of prolificacy and the easewith which the goats and their products can be marketed. Goats can sustain themselves on sparse vegetation and extreme climatic conditions where other species of animals may perish. Goats produce a variety of products, mainly meat, skin, milk, fleece and manure.

Goats are the main meat animal in India, its meat is most preferred and hence the costliest of all meats. Goat meat fetches better price because of its liking and universal socio-religious acceptability. Almost 95 percent of the goat meat produced in the country is consumed locally and per capita availability is far below the requirement. There is, therefore considerable potential for developing goat production not only for meat for internal consumption and for export, but for the quality leather production also, in which India ranks high among the goat skin exporting countries.

Goat is a multidimensional animal and plays a significant role in the economy and nutrition of landless, small and marginal farmers in the country. Goat rearing is an enterprise, which has been practiced by a large section of the rural population. Goats can efficiently survive on available shrubs and trees in adverse environment in low fertile lands. In pastoral and agriculture subsistence societies in India, goats are kept as a source of additional income and as an insurance against disaster. Goats are also used in ceremonial feastings and for the payment of social dues. In addition of this, goats have religious and ritualistic importance in many societies.

But the productivity of goat is low due to maintaining under extensive system of natural vegetation on degraded common grazing lands and tree lopping. Therefore, commercial goat farming under intensive and semi-intensive system of management, using improved technologies, will be crucial for realizing the potential of goats.

High demand for goat and its products with potential of good economic returns have been deriving many progressive farmers, businessmen, professionals, ex-servicemen and educated youth to take up the goat enterprise on a commercial scale. However the aspirant entrepreneurs always seek information on techno-economic viability of commercial goat farming projects, before making the decision to investment.

The entrepreneurs and farmers want to know the economic viability and soundness of the goat farming enterprise, before entering in the business. Moreover, the availability of finance from institutional sources for commercial goat farming will be crucial for its development.