Role of Livestock Sector in Sustainable Livelihood Security in Yamuna Ravine Area of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Livestock has been an integral part of human life since civilization started. It provides enormous opportunities to bring required growth in agriculture and households income, especially in remote and poor endowed regions. Ravines are the worst forms of land degradation caused by water erosion. The households those residents within ravine areas have low socio-economical status compared to residents of outside ravine areas. The present study explored the role of livestock in agriculture and households income in Yamuna ravine areas using both primary and secondary data. Further, this study also attempted for economic analysis of livestock and to identify signifi cant factors that infl uence the households' decision to rear livestock. The livestock (particularly buff alo) contributed substantially to the household's income. Hence crop-livestock mixed farming could produce worthy results for farmers and the growth of the agriculture sector. The small ruminants per household were found less in the study areas. However, these ruminants have tremendous potential to enhance farmers' income, particularly landless, marginal, and women farmers in ravine areas. Hence rearing of small ruminants should encourage. The milk productivity of animals was low in study areas compared to country levels. The results of the logit econometric model show that household age, family size, land holdings, irrigated area, and own ravine land were signifi cant factors for the household's decision to rear livestock. Therefore, supportive technical, institutional, and policy initiatives for improvement in breeds, animal health care, quality feed & fodder availability, and veterinary extension services are required for improving the productivity of the animal.