Income Generation Avenues of Gaushalas in India
ABSTRACT
Gaushalas play a vital role in safeguarding the cattle wealth of our country. Even though the main aim of the Gaushala is to house the unproductive/uncared cattle, many of the fore-front Gaushalas maintained good quality indigenous cattle with huge economic potentiality. Further, it is noted from various studies that besides selling the Indigenous cattle milk for the higher price, most of the Gaushalas were also actively engaged in reaping economic returns through effective utilization of cattle by-products like ‘cowdung’ as a source of fuel, bio-gas (Methane, LPG), bio-fertilizers (FYM, NADEP, Vermicompost), ‘cow-urine’ as bio-pesticide and raw-material for preparation of Jeevamirtha organic manure. Few Gaushalas also maintained the Panchagavya (a mixture of cow milk, curd, ghee, cow dung extract and Gomutra) manufacturing units as a microlevel business/enterprise and created an avenue for income-generating activities. The additional income generated in Gaushalas helps in compensating the labour cost, transportation, fodder requirement, water supply, electricity charges and healthcare expenses incurred by the Gaushala management.
Keywords: Gaushalas, income, cattle, cow
INTRODUCTION
Gaushalas are charitable non-profitable organizations whose main purpose is to enhance the productivity of indigenous cattle breeds and increase economic returns from animal products in a sustainable manner. Several Gaushalas in the country have followed innovative methods for raising additional income through various income generation activities viz. enhanced utilization of bull power for rural activities and electricity generation, production of young bulls for export to other States, production of gobar gas, and production of Panchagavya, vermin-compost and bio-pesticide for use in natural and organic agriculture. Large scale practice of such value additions may lead to transformation of Gaushalas to play an additional but pivotal role in conservation of indigenous breeds of cattle. Nevertheless, effective management of Gaushalas in the present context is posing a serious challenge to the Gaushalas, due to paucity of funds, inadequate financial aid from governments, inadequate fodder availability, non-availability of veterinary services, poor infrastructure facilities and poor management, as some of the chronic problems faced by Gaushalas. Therefore, the development of Gaushalas aims to improve the overall livestock keeping practices and animal welfare for the sheltered cows in a sustainable manner Cows and its progeny have been the backbone of our rural economy for ages and contribute significantly to the livelihood of millions of farmers. Cattle are the real wealth of our agriculture dominated country. The prosperity of this country does not lie in its industries and abattoirs; it does in agriculture based on the livestock. In developing countries, most milk is produced by small-scale producers with local or indigenous cattle breeds; however, in peri-urban areas the use of improved or cross-bred cattle is increasing to meet the rising urban demand for milk and milk products. Indigenous breeds are well adapted to local conditions (e.g., the thermal environment, available feed and water resources, endemic diseases and parasites), but have low production and usually need to be milked with the calf at foot. Most indigenous breeds in tropical regions are of the zebu type (Bos indicus) with the characteristic hump and dewlap. Some of the most widely distributed dairy breeds of zebu cattle are Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar, Kankrej, Gir, Kenana and Butana.
Importance of Indigenous Cattle
Desi cattle have been a part of the Indian lifestyle since ages unknown. It has helped mankind in farms to plough, on roads to carry loads, at home with milk and with urine & cow dung for several other uses in day to day life. Desi cow is not only looked upon as a source of benefit but also considered as a family member and revered with a motherly status & often called “Gau Mata”. Indigenous cow’s breeds are the kind of cattle whose products are churned for spiritual and social betterment. Well there are several benefits of consuming the milk of desi cows; mainly it contains amino acid such as proline. This proline is mixed with isoleucine, which is best to fight several diseases like asthma, mental disorder, joint pain, and obesity. Moreover, these indigenous breed cows contain hump, which is known to absorb Vitamin D from the rays of the sun.
BENEFITS OF INDIGENOUS COW PRODUCTS ·
Milk: Cow milk touches practically all aspects of life. Men or a woman, kids or adults, rural or urban, milk is a wholesome food for all. It reduces acidity, increases immunity and sharpens the brain. Cow milk forms a base for many ayurvedic medicines. Desi Cow milk is A2 Type milk that helps fight diabetes in infants and adults. Many more products like curd, buttermilk, butter & clear butter (Ghee) are made from cow milk. These products have high medicinal & nutritional values.
· Cow Urine (Go Mutra): Urine of any animal is discarded as a waste product but when it comes to cow it’s exact opposite. It’s a boon to all mankind and farmers in particular. Cow urine is used to produce organic & natural fertilizers, insect repellents and other products in farming. It is not just used for external purposes alone but highly beneficial if consumed by humans. It has high medicinal value and is considered a super medicine. Several scientists conducted extensive research on indigenous cow urine and have proven its anti-cancerous properties.
· Cow Dung (Go May): Another cow excreta which has value of gold equal to its weight for farmers. Ancient scriptures mention “Gomay Vasate Lakshmi” literally meaning Lakshmi – Goddess of Wealth & Prosperity dwells in Cow Dung. Dung or Gobar – as called in Hindi has high micro-organismic value. This is helpful to increase the fertility and productivity of the soil. Cow Dung Compost is a natural fertilizer and many other organic fertilizers can be made from cow dung. Cow dung is deemed fit for consumption by humans and is part of many ayurvedic medicines.
· Panchagavya (5 Cow Products): Milk, curd, go ghrut (Ghee), gomutra, gomay form a holy union of panchagavya ayurvedic medicine. These, when mixed in different measures and with different other components, form a range of medicines. These medicines have proved to be effective to address a lot of medical problems. They have reportedly cured many chronic ailments and are the only alternatives to modern medical sciences. These medicines do not cost much dent to the pocket as they are made from all cow-based products that are easily available.
· Jeevamrutha: It is an organic fertilizer that enriches the soil and plant and provides all the nutrients required for the growth of the plant. It is a rich source of Nitrogen and valuable micro-organisms which naturally enhances soil fertility.
· Bijamrita/beejamrutha: It is a treatment used for seeds, seedlings or any planting material. Bijamrita is effective in protecting young roots from fungus as well as from soil-borne and seed-borne diseases that commonly affect plants after the monsoon period. It is composed of similar ingredients as jeevamrutha – local cow dung, a powerful natural fungicide, and cow urine, a strong antibacterial liquid, lime, soil.
CONCLUSION
A strong nation is built with the food it eats. It is the responsibility of every farmer in India to provide healthy and poison-free food to all citizens. The only way possible for the farmers to produce poison-free food is to lead a cow-based organic way of life. We as consumers and farm producers should support cow based organic farming in all possible ways. Gaushalas in this context can play an important role in the manufacturing of organic products as it houses the indigenous cattle population and also promotes organic farming. However; most of the Gaushalas are yet to adopt the improved management practices and effective utilization of by-products. Hence, emphasis should be given on providing adequate training and technical support in the scientific management of Gaushalas, proper resource utilization, value addition and eco-friendly energy generation for the sustainable economic viability of the Gaushalas.
Compiled & Shared by- This paper is a compilation of groupwork provided by the
Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
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Reference-On Request.
