CHANNAPPAGOUDA BIRADARMAHEBOOB ALI2023-12-212023-12-212023https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810204123The present study was conducted to know the status of goat marketing and economics of live goat marketing as well as chevon. An ex-post facto research was conducted in Bidar and Kalaburagi districts of Kalyana Karnataka. Three markets from each district and 10 sellers, 10 buyers/butchers and 5 middlemen from each selected market were selected, making a sample size of 60 sellers, 60 buyers/butchers and 30 middlemen. The majority of the respondents had small ruminant rearing as a primary occupation with small land holding and had low level of experience in goat marketing. Majority of the butchers were middle aged and Muslims. Majority respondents travelled 21-40Kms for selling their goats, used specially designed vehicles for transportation and sold two or less than two goats of 4-12 months old and body weight of 12-24 Kgs to meet their domestic expenses. The Lumbar score method was most preferred and profitable price fixation method, negotiation was done for finalizing the price. Average body weight of young male kid, 15-18 Kg, young female kid, 8-12 Kg, adult female goat, 20-30Kg, adult buck, 25-35 Kg and spent/culled goat, 25-30 Kg. The production cost of goat was ₹4405.16 among which animal cost was major (67.53%) followed by labour (20.17%), feeding (7.79%) and healthcare (2.15%). Average market cost was ₹ 106.33 (2.36%), transport expense was major (1.05%) followed by own expenditure (0.73%) and brokerage (0.57%) and farmers got average profit of ₹1721.85 by selling goat at an average age of 13.75 months at an average price of ₹6233.33. Sellers received 96.50 per cent of the buyer’s rupee. The majority of the butchers slaughtered 2-3 goats/day and 10-20 goats/week. Sold 15-30Kg chevon and 4-8 Kg offal’s per day. The majority of butchers slaughtered goats in homes, halal method was most preferred for slaughter. Butchers assessed the quality of chevon by colour and majority had storage facility for unsold meat. Consumers preferred to purchase meat of young male kids (6-12 months) and adult female (>12 months) goats, mostly prefer thigh, breast and shoulder/shank region meat cuts. Animal by products were discarded in the study area. Average costs accounted to ₹6459.17 which comprised animal cost (96.63%) as major followed by transportation expenses (1.35%) labour and miscellaneous cost (1.24%) and commission paid to the middlemen (0.77%). Average revenue accounted to ₹7260.75 which comprised sale of meat (88.01%) as major followed by sale of offal’s (11.99%). There was no revenue generated from the sale of hides, horns, and hoofs. Average profit was ₹801.58 with the BCR of 1.12. Major constraints of goat farmers are low market price, exploitation by middlemen and unscientific methods of price fixation. Constraints faced by middlemen are disease prevalence in goats, problems in transportation and regulations in animal market. Major constraints of butchers are exploitation by middlemen, transportation regulations and disease prevalence in goats. Study concluded that training programmes to be implemented for scientific goat management and scientific slaughter practices and scientific price fixation should be encouraged. Key words: Goat markets, Market price, scientific management, Slaughter practices, Average profit, Constraints.Thesis