LIVESTOCK SERVICES DELIVERY BY ANIMAL HUSBANDRY ASSISTANTS THROUGH RYTHU BHAROSA KENDRAS - AN ANALYTICAL STUDY
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Date
2024-01
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SRI VENKATESWARA VETERINARY UNIVERSITY, TIRUPATI - 517 502. (A.P.) INDIA
Abstract
The present research work “LIVESTOCK SERVICES DELIVERY BY
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
ASSISTANTS THROUGH RYTHU BHAROSA
KENDRAS – AN ANALYTICAL STUDY” was focused on satisfaction of farmers and
perception of veterinarians regarding the services provided by Animal Husbandry
Assistants (AHAs) and also on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of
AHAs as perceived by livestock farmers, veterinarians and Animal Husbandry Assistants
themselves. An ex-post-facto research design was followed in the present study. Andhra
Pradesh state was selected purposively covering the three administrative zones and a total
of 90 livestock farmers, 45 veterinarians and 90 Animal Husbandry Assistants were
selected through simple random sampling method. The data from respondents was
collected through a structured interview schedule. Appropriate statistical procedure were
employed to analyse and interpret the data.
More than two-fifth (43.33%) of the livestock farmers were middle aged and
majority (87.78%) of them were male. More than one-fourth (28.90%) of the respondents
had no formal education and more than one-third (42.22%) of them were with large
landholding, while 90.00 per cent of them possessed small livestock holding. The
regularly used information sources were milk cooperative societies and
veterinarians/extension worker among the various personal localite and personal
cosmopolite channels, respectively. Whereas, frequently used impersonal cosmopolite
information sources were television and newspaper. Nearly three-fourth (72.22%) of the
respondents prefer milk co-operative societies for sale of milk and almost all the farmers
use dung as manure in their fields. Majority of farmers sell the live animals to the farmers
of other villages. About 56.67 per cent of the respondents had medium annual income.
Nearly two-third (62.22%) of the veterinarians were young aged and about 66.67
per cent of veterinarians were graduates. Overwhelming majority (97.78%) of the
veterinarians were working as Veterinary Assistant Surgeons and 95.56 per cent of the
veterinarians were working at Veterinary Dispensaries (VD) and remaining few working
at Area Veterinary Hospital (AVH). Nearly two-third (64.45%) of the respondents had
medium level of experience and most of the veterinarians (86.67%) had 1 - 7 number of
AHAs under their control.
Majority (88.89%) of the Animal Husbandry Assistants were young and more
than three-fourth (76.67%) were male. About 92.22 per cent of Animal Husbandry
Assistants had higher secondary education and more than half (52.23%) had no
employment before their joining as AHAs. Nearly two-third (61.11%) of the respondent’s
received additional trainings other than induction training and more than half (58.89%)
of the respondents had three years of experience as AHAs.
Nearly three-fourth (73.33%) of the livestock farmers had medium level of
satisfaction towards the health, breeding and extension services provided by Animal
Husbandry Assistants. More than two-third (68.89%) of the veterinarians had medium
level of perception towards the services provided by Animal Husbandry Assistants.
The major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of AHAs as
perceived by livestock farmers were greater acceptance from the farmers, AHAs are
unable to meet expectations of farmers due to insufficient training programmes,
utilization of mass and social media effectively to deliver the services and preference of
veterinarians over AHAs, respectively.
The major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of AHAs as opined
by veterinarians were attending the farmers call promptly, lack of enough confidence in
the absence of superior amid tough field situations and comparison of AHAs with
veterinarians and paraveterinarians, providing services which are demand driven and
location specific and inadequate guidance from veterinarians, respectively.
The major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of AHAs as
perceived by themselves were attending the farmers call promptly, scarcity/absence of
inputs for service delivery, effective communication to improve farmers knowledge and
rendering of services by unskilled personnel, respectively.
The study unveiled the satisfaction level and perception of farmers and
veterinarians, respectively towards the services provide by Animal Husbandry Assistants.
The weaknesses and challenges faced by the Animal Husbandry Assistants need to be
addressed.