Kambadur women turn to dairy, milk profits

Kambadur (Anantapur): Sujatha, Rajammalu and Narasamma who are proud owners of two cows each are earning a parallel monthly income of Rs 15,000 along with their husbands. "We don't ask our husbands for money. Our earnings are enough to sustain the family," said the proud women of Kambadur village, who are earning huge incomes through  milk business.

For Saraswathi of Kambadur mandal, the two cows provided by the Animal Husbandry Department through the DRDA’s Velugu Women Groups’ scheme has improved the financial status of her family, which was fragile.  

The Animal Husbandry Department has provided 450 cows and buffaloes to the members of the Scheduled Castes and these have come in handy for Saraswathi's family. The family had purchased a cow first costing Rs 60,000 with the beneficiary's contribution of Rs.15,000 and the remaining amount of Rs.45,000 was given as a subsidy through District Rural Development Agency's Velugu project and self-help groups. 

In second phase, Saraswathi purchased another cow boosting her family income. These cows and buffaloes are brought from Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka by the Department of Animal Husbandry.  Depending upon the quality of feed, the yield from the cows is anywhere between 8-10 litres or 15 litres of milk per day.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Sunday, Joint Director in the Department of Animal Husbandry B Sanyasi Rao said that each family gets a monthly income of Rs 9,000 to Rs12,000. On an average, each family earns Rs10,000 a month which was the wages earned by a male bread winner, he added. The two cows were given to beneficiaries in two phases depending upon the beneficiaries’ interest. With just one domestic cow, the female head of family is happily earning Rs10,000 a month, he said. 

The Animal Husbandry Department launched the scheme with a view to boost the rural household economy. In view of lot of demand for scheme, District Collector Veera Pandian has been requested to submit another list for sanctioning cows.

Kshemamani, another beneficiary of the same village, said that when crops fail, and monsoon disappointed the farmers, cows and buffaloes come to rescue of rural families. The Joint Director said that the targeted 450 cows and buffaloes would be supplied to beneficiaries by the end of this financial year.

Several village elders, while speaking to The Hans India said that backyard domestic dairy, poultry, sheep and goat rearing should be promoted in a big way as these allied schemes of the Agriculture Department that sustain a farmer in times of drought.

By Ravi P Benjamin