Role of Livestock Farming in Meeting Livelihood Challenges of SC Cultivators in India

Diversification of income and employment portfolio is crucial for sustainable rural livelihoods. Livestock sector can play an important role in poverty alleviation, income enhancement and risk reduction for poor rural households. Livestock is one of the fastest-growing subsectors of agriculture and allied activities. Dalit or Scheduled Caste (SC) households, being at the lowest rung of social strata, is one of the most socially marginalised, resource-poor and economically vulnerable groups in India. Although livestock farming is often cited as a viable option for the growth of household income, there has been very little study on the participation of Dalit households in the livestock sector—the particular constraints and challenges they face vis-à-vis other caste groups. This article uses unit-level data from different surveys of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) to explore the specific challenges and opportunities faced by Dalit households in successful diversification of their income portfolio to include livestock as an alternative economic activity. The article argues that despite the recent boom in livestock sector (especially in dairy) there is very little evidence that the SC households could take up this as a major economic activity. A lack of access to land, livestock resources and good marketing opportunities for SC cultivators stand in the way to a more successful diversification to livestock activities.