About the Scope Foundation Mission
Scope works with small and marginal farmers to promote Fishery & Animal Husbandry as a sustainable livelihood option. Animal Husbandry & Fisheries has been a focus area of the Scope since inception. The organisation works with the local Animal Husbandry & Fisheries universities and subject experts in order to develop specific, focused initiatives that enhance agricultural productivity and rural development.
- Employability & Livelihood Enhancement in the state of Bihar through Animal Husbandry & Fisheries
- Doubling the income of farmers by Source diversification
- Reduce rural poverty through policies that benefit tribal communities, poor and marginalised communities, women and scheduled castes
- Ensure food security through a productive, diversified Animal Husbandry & Fishery sector
Scope is doing a massive effort on Livestock, Food Security and poverty reduction through Fishery, Poultry , Goatry and Artificial Insemination and thus help preserve stable rural economies.
- To provide an alternate source of income to poor people with a very low investment.
- To promote Rural fish farming, Poultry & Goatry as a good source of protein and income diversification to fight poverty and inequality.
- A platform which will generate numerous employment opportunities to the farmer and family members especially the youth migrating to other state for labour jobs.
- To assist smallholders who can compete in the new markets by capacity -building through adequate training programme.
- Addressing critical gaps in fish/meat production and productivity, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management modernization and strengthening of value chain, traceability.
- Establishing a robust Livestock management framework and poor farmer’s welfare.
- To provide 360°services to farmers throughout the season – end to end approach as only giving information is not sufficient for farmers
Problem Statement
- Majority of Farmers in Bihar have small landholdings.
- Farmers grow crop on this small land, the yield is very less therefore they do not make much profit, but if the farmer rears fish on small land ranging from 500 to 2,000 sq. feet then he earns much more profit.
- Infertile land can be utilized for Fish Farming or livestock development
- Agriculture is a seasonal business; farmers are able to grow only one or two crops in a year. If farmers do fish farming along with agriculture, they will earn double profit.
- The annual per capita consumption of fish for the entire population is estimated at 5-6 kg whereas for the fish eating population it is found to be 8-9 kilogram, which is a poor 50 per cent of the global rates. However, the Indian Council of Medical Research recommends this to be 12 kg per annum. Worldwide Average is around 20Kgs.
- India’s meat consumption is very low – currently 4.5 kg per capita against the worldwide average of around 20 Kgs.
- The per capita consumption is around 70 eggs per year, with a total production of about 84 billion eggs. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends at least 180 eggs per head per annum. Worldwide average is 161 eggs per capita.
- With Integrated Farming Practices
- Hunger & malnutrition issues in Rural India
- There is a huge opportunity for integrated farming practices to increase economic yield per unit area per unit time by virtue of intensification of crop and allied enterprises.
- Fruits & Vegetables can be cultivated on the ridges of the pond to earn extra profits.
- The water of the pond becomes a very good medium for irrigation in agriculture.
- Waste from Animal Husbandry becomes the source of manures/fertilizers for agriculture
About the Theme
A large number of Indian farmers depend upon animal husbandry for their livelihood. Globally the scope of animal husbandry is quite good. Their are ample jobs in this field like supplying of meat, egg, milk, wool, etc. From the ancient age, domestic livestock keeping has been a lucrative income source for the human being. These days, livestock farming is definitely a profitable business both as large-scale and small-scale. If you have some backyard areas ONE can start farming there.
Animal Husbandry continue to be an integral part of human life since the process of civilization started. These activities have contributed not only to the food basket and draught animal power but also by maintaining ecological balance. They play a significant role in generating gainful employment in the rural sector, particularly among the landless, small and marginal farmers and women, besides providing cheap and nutritious food to millions.
The animal husbandry sector provides multiple employment opportunities to small and marginal farmers and plays a major role in ensuring the food security of the most vulnerable part of our population to climate change. Therefore, future Animal Husbandry interventions should focus on climate smart livestock farming that can meet the challenges of climate change and its impacts. There is also a need for understanding the latest trends in livestock farming, pooling of the knowledge sources and formulating strategic approaches for development of the sector.
In recent past dairy sector has transformed into a major activity from its subsidiary status as the value of milk output has surpassed that of output of cereals and pulses combined. Meat remains the largest export earner among various agriculture commodities. As a result, it is important to understand the value chain of various animal husbandry activities and identify financing opportunities for the banking community in dairy as well as fish, sheep, goat and poultry farming. It is also very important to have strategic action dovetailing the macro level infrastructure and marketing plans with the micro level production activities.
One of the Scope key thematic interventions under the Livelihoods portfolio is livestock and fisheries development. Supplementing unpredictable crop incomes through sustainable livestock systems can help reduce poverty, end hunger and improve the health of rural communities. It is estimated that 70% of rural households in developing countries depend on livestock for their livelihoods.
The organisation’s approach is to augment natural resources and develop new income opportunities in livestock and fishery products for permanent income generation. In addition, overlapping multiple disparate projects within a community or household helps to create a sustainable impact. For instance, farmers in a village may continue farming, but they are also encouraged to earn through non-agricultural means, such as rearing of dairy cattle, goats, poultry, fisheries, duck farming and piggeries.
