MPRLP UPDATE SERIES NO.
3
BETTER LIVESTOCK-KEEPING
Better livestock-
keeping
improves lives
in remote areas
of Madhya
Pradesh
Goats, chickens, fish and other
livestock are an important part of poor
people's livelihoods in remote areas of
India. If these people can keep their
animals healthy and get them to
produce more meat, milk or eggs, they
can break age-old cycles of debt and
set foot on the path out of poverty.
MPRLP has shown that, with basic
veterinary services and sound advice,
poor livestock owners can generate a
regular income and accumulate
savings as a buffer against life's
shocks and stresses. Some can even
build small but profitable livestock
enterprises.
Boosting returns from
livestock
Between July 2007 and August 2010
MPRLP, working through Gram Sabhas,
helped boost returns from livestock in
over a third of poor communities in
nine remote tribal districts of Madhya
Pradesh.
Vaccinating goats
Many poor households keep goats for
meat and milk, but these animals often
fall ill or die of disease. To overcome
this, MPRLP has been working with
Chicken rearing. Photo: © MPRLP/Sandeep Khanwalkar
Gram Sabhas and vets from the BAIF
Development Research Foundation to
organise and run annual vaccination
camps. Between July 2007 and August
2010, 8027 of these camps were held,
at which 565,615 animals were
vaccinated against diseases that could
affect or kill them.
Paravet services
MPRLP has also pioneered paravet
coverage for clusters of villages in
Barwani District. Previously, livestock
owners could do little to prevent their
animals succumbing to common animal
complaints. At best the animals became
feeble and unproductive; at worst they
died, and owners lost valuable
household assets.
Since August 2010, 208 paravets have
each been taking responsibility for the
treatment of animals with each paravet
covering about 15 villages. They vaccinate,
de-worm, castrate and attend to livestock
for set fees, working to a code of conduct
agreed by the Gram Sabhas. This
approach succeeds because, as long as
paravets visit villages regularly to provide
services and follow up on treatment, they
can be sure they will be paid.
Controlled and managed by Gram
Sabhas and backed up by the BAIF
Achievements
 By working with Gram Sabhas,
MPRLP has helped thousands
of poor livestock owners in
tribal areas learn how to boost
meat, milk and fish output.
 By working with Gram Sabhas
and the BAIF Development
Research Foundation, MPRLP
has put basic livestock
services and advice within the
reach of nearly 3000 remote
villages, resulting in fewer
livestock deaths and healthier
animals.
 By working with Gram Sabhas
to channel funds through
Gram Kosh for promoting a
successful poultry business
model, MPRLP has helped
many women start viable
chicken-rearing enterprises.
"With basic veterinary
services and sound
advice, poor livestock
owners can generate a
regular income"
MADHYA PRADESH RURAL
LIVELIHOODS PROJECT
Development Research Foundation
(which provides appropriate technical
expertise), this scheme is an
outstanding example of how to deliver
basic veterinary services to remote
communities in a practical way. Such a
scheme can be easily replicated, is
transparent and delivers services
effectively at prices villagers can afford.
Building livestock
enterprises
Fish
Remote areas of Madhya Pradesh are
dotted with water bodies that
communities traditionally use for fish
culture. Working with Gram Sabhas,
MPRLP is helping people to access
healthy fingerlings (young fish) and is
providing advice on low-cost inputs
such as oil cake and rice bran (used as
fish feed) and cow dung (used as a
pond fertiliser). By August 2010, this
project had helped communities get
more fish from 817 ponds.
In Dindori in 2009, for example, four
self-help groups netted fish that sold
for Rs.13,000 (£193). In Mandla
District in the same year, a self-help
group invested Rs.4,200 (£62) in
fingerlings and harvested 250kg of
fish, which they sold in the local
market for Rs.25,000 (£371). This
Chickens
Rearing chickens in their backyards
also provides households with food for
themselves and eggs and chickens to
sell. Working with Gram Sabhas,
MPRLP has helped 994 households
select and breed local chickens to
produce more meat and eggs.
But there is also a ready market for
chickens in growing urban areas. In
Dindori District, MPRLP worked with
PRADAN, a local NGO, to replicate a
successful model for small poultry
businesses. The Gram Sabha played
an important role in helping 302
women (by August 2010) to start
group organised watchmen to prevent raising chickens. The women formed
thieves from stealing the fish. As well and registered a cooperative, and
as fetching good cash returns, the joined a producer company to help
protein in fish improves nutrition and them solve problems they might
fish-rearing provides jobs. encounter. Each woman works for
about four hours a day looking after
the chickens and makes Rs.10,000 to
Rs.17,500 (£148 to £193) a year.
The way ahead
 Involve Gram Sabhas in
planning and managing
livestock development in
remote communities.
 Strengthen Gram Sabhas'
capacity to plan, manage and
use the Gram Kosh to provide
efficient and affordable basic
veterinary services to village
clusters.
 Train a livestock development
committee in each village to
Contact
give them knowledge about
Telephone: +91-(0)755-2766812,
the selection and breeding of
814, 815
animals and how to buy
Fax: +91-(0)755-2766818
animals (their dental health,
Email: mprlp@mprlp.in
whether to buy a pregnant
Website: www.mprlp.in
animal etc).
 Mainstream the paravet
approach to providing basic MPRLP is funded by the UK Department for
veterinary services through International Development (DFID).
Gram Sabhas in government
This publication does not necessarily represent
programmes. the views of the Department for International
Replicate successful
 Development.
approaches to launching
livestock microenterprises.