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ThesisItem Open Access ECOPROSPECTING LOCAL CATTLE TO NAVIGATE CULTURAL VALUES IN LOWER ASSAM(College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara, Guwahati, 2019-01) HUSSAIN, LIAKOT; Borgohain, A.Agriculture is the mainstay of the rural people for earning their livelihood and animal husbandry is a subsidiary occupation. Rain fed agro-ecosystem has a distinct place in Indian agriculture, occupying more than 50% of the cultivated area, contributing 44% of the food grains and supporting 40% of the human and 65% of the livestock population. Animal husbandry acts as the buffer in crop failure by providing the subsidiary income to the farming communities by sale of milk, meat, egg, hide, manure and sometimes living animals. The country among the largest population of cattle and buffaloes in the world and all the breeds are admired for their heat tolerance and inherent resistance to so many diseases including ability to thrive under different climatic condition. The contribution of livestock sector to the national economy in terms of GDP is 4.11 per cent and 25.60 per cent of total contribution of the agricultural sectors to GDP (19th Livestock Census, 2012). India with about 190 million cattle (as per 19th Livestock Census, 2012) has 14.50 per cent of the world cattle population of this 151 million are indigenous. Indigenous cattle are robust and resilient and are particularly suited to the climate and environment of their respective breeding tracts. Indigenous cattle can be improved with organized breeding programs, cultivated pastures, and silos for storage. Because stronger oxen would pull the plough faster, they could work multiple plots of land, allowing farmers to share their animals. Fewer healthy, well fed cows could provide Indians with more milk. Ecosystem, animal husbandry and sustainability have an inclusive relationship with far reaching impact on world civilization and cultural evolution. The draught bullocks are a main source of farm power for small farmer to certain extent for medium farmers and for certain operation with large farmer. Livestock sector not only provides essential proteins and nutritious human diet through milk, egg, meat etc. but livestock also provides raw materials and byproducts such as hides and skins, blood, bone, fat etc. which have huge economic importance. Women in the North East have a different status. Rural women form the most important productive work force in the economy of majority of the developing nations including India. Agriculture, the single largest production endeavor in India, contributing around 17.00 per cent of GDP, is increasingly becoming a female activity. The demand for meat and meat products is more in Assam and other North- Eastern States because of the higher tenancy towards non-vegetarian foods of the inhabitants of this region. Marketing comprises of the economic activities involving the movement of the produce from the point of production to the point of consumption. Apparently, it is known that local cattle are raised for purposes like drafting, ploughing, cart pulling, fertilizer, social-economic security and milk production for household consumption. But there might be some other unseen and unknown reasons as well. Therefore, to have an empirical study on utility pattern of indigenous cattle rearing by the farmers of lower Assam, the study on “Ecoprospecting Local Cattle to Navigate Cultural Values in Lower Assam’’ was undertaken. Keeping the topic of the study and its objectives in view, the present study was carried out in the ten lower Assam districts of the state namely, South Salmara- Mankachar, Dhubri, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Baksa, Chirang, Barpeta, Nalbari, Darrang and Udalguri. From each of the selected district, two blocks were randomly selected and from where Twenty Five (25) local cattle rearing farmers representing each block were chosen as respondents. Thus, a total of 500 local cattle rearing farmers (fifty from each selected district) formed the sample size for the present investigation. By and large a random sampling technique was followed for the study. A pre-tested, reliable and valid interview schedule was used for data collection by the researcher personally and the responses were collected on the interview schedule comprising of independent and dependent variables. Based on the data collected and the results obtained the conclusions were drawn and findings were expressed.
