3.5   Livestock

. Livestock Livestock is an integral component of the farming system in India. The livestock sector is socially and economically very significant due to its multifunctional outputs and contribution to sociocultural security. It also helps to improve food and nutritional security by providing nutrient-rich food products, generates income and employment and acts as a cushion against crop failure, provides draught power and manure inputs to the crop subsector. Cattle Cattle constitute . percent of livestock population in India. India has the second largest cattle population after Brazil at World level. Cattle population in India belongs to different breeds. These include: ) Milch Breed. ) Draught breed. ) Mixed or General breed. Goats The goat is the poor man’s cow providing milk, meat, skin and hair. It is the main source of meat for the country. Buffaloes Buffaloes are an important source of milk supply for India. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of buffaloes ( . %) followed by Rajasthan ( . %) and Andhra Pradesh ( . %). India - Agriculture Lack of mechanization In spite of the large scale mechanization of agriculture in some parts of the country, most of the agricultural operations in larger parts are carried on by human hand using simple and conventional tools. Soil erosion Large tracts of fertile land suffer from soil erosion by wind and water. Agricultural marketing Due to the absence of sound marketing facility, the farmers have to depend on local traders and middlemen for the disposal of their farm products which is sold at low price. Besides, there is a fluctuation in the prices of agriculture products. Inadequate storage facilities Storage facilities in the rural areas are either totally absent or grossly inadequate. Under such conditions the farmers are compelled to sell their products immediately after the harvest irrespective of the condition of market. Inadequate transport One of the main handicaps with Indian agriculture is the lack of cheap and efficient means of transportation. Scarcity of capital Agriculture is an important industry which requires a huge capital. The role of capital plays a major role in the purchase of advanced farm machineries and equipments. Fisheries . Marine or Sea Fisheries: It includes coastal, off-shore and deep sea fisheries mainly on the continental shelves. Kerala leads in the marine fish production in India. . Inland or Fresh Water Fisheries: Rivers, lakes, canals, reservoirs, ponds, tanks, etc., are the sources of fresh water fisheries. About percent of the country’s total fish production comes from the inland fisheries and Andhra Pradesh is the leading producer in India. In India, the important varieties of fishes caught by the fisherman are Cat fish, Herrings, Mackerels, Perches, Eels, Mullets, etc.