Livestock population dynamics in Banni grasslands of Gujarat

Abstract

Banni grasslands in Gujarat are home to migratory pastoralists (Maldharis) for more than 500 years. Maldharis are landless and dependent on livestock for their livelihood. The study was conducted to measure the long-term growth and instability of different livestock species in Banni grasslands from 1977 to 2012. Pastoralists (280) were personally interviewed during 2015 to 2017 to prioritize the factors affecting trends in livestock population using Garrett ranking technique. The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in population was highest for Banni buffaloes (5.89%) followed by Kankrej cattle (1.78%) and it was negative for goat (-0.29%) and sheep (–0.28%) population. Cuddy Della Valle Instability Index was very high for goat (89%) and sheep population (78%) whereas it was low for buffaloes (31%) and cattle (23%). The severity and duration of drought significantly affected the decline in population of goat and sheep. However, the shift in population of buffaloes and cattle was affected by complex of technological and policy factors. Decline in demand of Kankrej bullocks for agriculture use, low milk productivity of cows, and detrimental impact of regular feeding on Prosopis juliflora pods (weakening and dislocation of jaws and gradual death of cows) led to significant increase in population of Banni buffaloes when compared to Kankrej cattle. The population growth rate of Banni buffaloes (457%) was six times higher than the Kankrej cows (70%) from 1977 to 2012. This trend is most likely to continue in the following years as the migratory pastoralism is being gradually replaced by semi-migratory and sedentary pastoralism and establishment of organized dairy industry. Establishment of dairy units/Milk Collection Centres and improved road connectivity of villages in Banni have further facilitated in promotion of Banni buffalo based pastoralism as the primary source of livelihood. Composition of different livestock species in 2012 (Buffaloes: 72%, Cattle: 16%, Goat: 7% and Sheep: 6%) indicated the dominance of Banni buffalo both in terms of number and contribution to livelihood of pastoralists and overall economy of Banni grasslands.