MEAT PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF SMALL RUMINANTS IN KARNATAKA- AN EXPLORATORY STUDY
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Date
2018-09
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KARNATAKA VETERINARY, ANIMAL AND FISHERIES SCIENCES UNIVERSITY, BIDAR – 585401
Abstract
The present study was conducted to acquire the first-hand information on existing
rearing practices, marketing pattern and slaughter practices of small ruminants of
Tumakuru district of Karnataka. A total of 120 small ruminant farmers and 60 retail meat
stall respondents randomly selected. Majority (61.67%) of the farmers practiced
extensive grazing, did not provide concentrates (79.17%) and supplementary ration
(81.66%), changed their breeding ram (57.80%) and buck (77.92%) after four years and
regularly dewormed and vaccinated (95.83%). Lamb /kid’s mortality was observed in all
most all the flocks during rainy season and 50.83 per cent threw away the sheep/goat
carcasses. Majority (81.67%) sold their male sheep and goats at the age of three to six
months, through middlemen (38.33%), based on loin and thigh muscle thickness
(54.17%) for the sake of immediate need of money (75.83%). All the meat stalls were
unregistered, practiced halal method of slaughtering and majority (80%) preferred below
the age of 15 months. None of the respondents carried out ante mortem and post mortem
examination by qualified veterinarian, chemical decontamination of carcass, knife
sterilization, never sent any samples for laboratory analysis, nor screened for
communicable diseases nor wore protective cloths during slaughter and sales. Liquid
wastes were disposed by 58.33 per cent respondents into the public sewage and 55 per
cent threw away solid wastes in an open area. Most of them expressed lack of
government support as their primary constraint in marketing of live animals (95.83%)
and carcasses of small ruminants (96.67%).