Constraints in development of Animal Husbandry :

The state of Uttarakhand encompasses a livestock population of 4,943,000, which accounts for 1.02 per cent of India’s figure. Although this figure is quite small, dairy and poultry farming are essential alternatives to traditional farming in the hill regions of Uttarakhand. The infrastructure for livestock is minimal and even scarce in some districts. Among the districts, Pauri Garhwal district has the highest number of livestock, because of the high number of desi cows. In the case of poultry also, the same district has predominance over other districts, followed by Almora, Champawat and Pithoragarh.

District-wise constraints In all the hill districts :

Almora :

 Almora is basically active in crop husbandry and dairy development. On the marketing front a Saras marketing facility has been set up, which has tried to solve problems related to marketing facilities. There are 70 storage go-downs in the district, but they are in poor condition and are mainly used by government agencies. This is true of other districts also. Although the district has a large population that is dependent on dairy farming, the district does not have a milk route. For animal husbandry also breed-improvement technology and programs are not available in the district. There is an acute shortage of hatcheries too.

Bageshwar  :

Bageshwar is known for its beauty. The Gomati and Saryu are the main rivers flowing through this district. This district is characterized by small villages scattered at varied heights. The district consists of ridges and valleys that make agriculture difficult. Hence, large portions of the district remain forested. The district is rich in timber and forest plants. Dairy is the main activity in this district. On the infrastructure side, it has a milk-chilling plant that can handle a capacity of 2,000 litres per day. Although there are 75 milk societies in the districts, two of the four milk routes have closed down because they were uneconomical. These milk routes need to be re-opened as commercial ventures and rural haats should be developed. Due to the suitable climate, poultry is very successful especially in meeting the needs of the plains; again, the main hurdle is the lack of infrastructure but this sector can be commercially developed.

The women of the district are engaged in rural handicrafts but there is lack of skill upgrading, innovation and market linkages for this activity. There is no animal mandi in the district and the closest are in Pantnagar and Kashipur. On the extension side there is a shortage of staff and technical support, green fodder, vaccination, breeding facilities, insurance, etc. There is also a problem of limited grazing land to rear sheep and goats.

Chamoli :

In Chamoli, the Alakananda is the largest river. The area under assured irrigation is almost negligible but there is potential to bring areas under irrigation through lift irrigation and rainwater harvesting. Currently, the only source of water for irrigation is surface water and there is limited scope for exploiting ground water. There are nine milk routes in the district but only two are operational. The district milk federation is trying to operate an additional milk route. There is no hatchery unit for poultry. The district also lacks a regulated mandi and the lack of veterinary institutes, fodder, water, and vaccine are further constraints.

Champawat :

It  is the most backward hill district of Uttarakhand and has the maximum amount of hill terrain. Only 8 per cent of the net cultivated area is irrigated. The land holdings are small and scattered and there is no assured market for commercial production. Due to poor soil health and soil erosion caused by heavy rainfall and landslides, productivity is affected. For dairy development there is a shortage of green fodder and feed due to which milk yield is low.

Pauri Garhwal :

It  is the largest hill district of the state. Small villages are scattered at different heights. Due to heavy rainfall, there is a lot of soil erosion. This district faces serious problems in terms of seed quality and lack of credit, drinking water, power supply, and milch animals; there are few milk routes and there has been reckless deforestation. The irrigated area is only 8.5 percent of the net cropped area. Farming is the main activity and organic cosmetic ingredients are produced. 105 villages have been declared organic villages. Thus there is a need for bio-fertilizers and biopesticides.

Pithoragarh  :

Pithoragarh district is on the border with Nepal and China; international trade can be developed with minimum transportation costs. Huge water resources in the districts have attracted hydropower projects. The main farming activities are organic horticulture, off-season vegetables, and medicinal plants along with wool-based products and dairy farming. Farmers have changed the cropping pattern and opted for commercial farming, but traditional farming needs to be preserved. There is a need to develop poly-houses for offseason vegetables. Farmers are not aware of fertilizer use and also need to diversify crop production.

For dairy farming, there are only four milk collection centers and six milk routes. But the non- availability of quality milch animals due to the absence of an organized cattle market is a constraint as is a small chilling plant. Also there is need to develop poultry farming as an alternative livelihood.

Tehri Garhwal  :

In Tehri Garhwal, the Yamuna River forms the western border and the other rivers are the Bhagirathi, Bhilangana and Alaknanda. There is very low use of fertilizer in the district mainly because of the non-availability of essential agricultural inputs like quality seeds, fertilizers, plantation materials, veterinary services, poultry hatchery units, animal feed units, and power supply. The milk routes have not been developed. Due to the development of the Tehri Dam lot of fertile land has been submerged in the catchment reservoir of the Tehri hydel development project. Although farming is the main activity, there is little cultivation and farming is only at subsistence levels.

Uttarkashi  :

Uttarkashi has the maximum livestock. The net sown area is only 3.3 per cent and land holdings are fragmented. Milk availability in the district is low and the milk societies require capital to develop infrastructure and markets. There is also no fodder depot. Cattle bought from outside are less adaptable to the cold weather of Uttarkashi and thus cross-breeding is needed within the district, but vaccine is a constraint. Since Uttarkashi is rich in livestock, wool-rearing is a viable option. There is a wool-marketing centre near Rishikesh, but for the past few years it is unable to procure wool and farmers are not able to sell their products.

             Farming and  husbandry are the main economic activities. These districts also engage in dairy and poultry farming to diversify their source of earnings. The expansion of agriculture is limited due to limited irrigation facilities. Overall low productivity, shortage of inputs and lack of marketing have confined production to self-consumption. Agriculture technology mission schemes have been launched in these districts to increase productivity, but their impact has not reached the farms. In terms of marketing besides the development of local, well-integrated mandis, the amended APMC act needs to be implemented.