|
Summary
The project addresses the ways in which the livelihoods of poor landless and refugee-affected people in Bangladesh and Nepal can be improved by keeping livestock. It examines possible entry points for more productive livestock keeping using three approaches:
- consultation with the landless poor on their aspirations and constraints,
- examination of the approaches and impacts of livestock projects designed for the landless, and
- evaluation of potential models and research findings by landless people.
A range of participatory tools and techniques are used, critically examined and adapted to the circumstances of the landless. |
|
| Primary Relevance |
Low - High |
| Feeding and Nutrition |
 |
| Animal Health |
|
| Commodities and Markets |
|
| Other Husbandry |
|
| Policy Relevance |
 |
|
Documents
|
A participatory approach is an effective way of promoting technology adoption in
resource-poor communities. The group approach plays a key role in problem solving and
fund generation. Non-participant farmers started to adopt the technologies being tested
by the trial participants. The landless poor also realised the benefits. With hindsight it
would have been better if only one improved feeding management with feed ingredients
easily available in local market (instead of two treatments) had been compared with the
farmers' traditional management practices.
The indications are positive in improving the livelihoods of resource-poor landless
livestock keepers through improved husbandry techniques, which help to improve
productivity of goats (reproductive and growth performance). The growth of goats and
pigs under both improved feeding managements were better than in the goats and pigs
reared under traditional management. The action research provided the means of
livelihood to some of the resource-poor landless farmers while other neighbouring
farmers also became familiar with the importance of improved management techniques
for small livestock, which ultimately helps to improve their living conditions with
increased household income. This study needs further extension and replication of the
research work into new areas. |
In Bangladesh, although it is too early to make firm conclusions about the potential role of livestock in poverty alleviation, early indications are that:
- Goats may be a better option than poultry due to their inherent disease resistance. Goats do not provide a regular daily or weekly income but they do provide capital growth (savings) which can be called upon when needed
- Some households have been very successful with poultry but overall ducks and chickens have not performed as well as goats
- Identification of potential beneficiaries, who are likely to succeed, may be crucial to success, although it is not yet clear how this can be done
- Further monitoring is essential if useful results are to be gained from the project; this is particularly the case for poultry. Many households are planning to increase their flocks during the dry winter season (November–March)
- On the whole very poor households are able to manage livestock enterprises within their family budgets, using locally available, usually free, resources. The only large outlays necessary are for veterinary drugs or assistance.
- Availability of labour is not a difficulty for the majority of households
- Marketing is not difficult as egg buyers visit most villages although slightly higher prices can be realised at local markets
- The Muslim festival of Eid-al-Ahzar provides an opportunity for goat keepers to realise a premium for their livestock (prices are about 30 per cent higher than normal).
|
|
