This
term is coined to express the economic importance of cattle
wealth to mankind. Livestock includes mainly cattle, pigs,
poultry and fishery but at present I deal with cattle farming.
In India agriculture provides work and livelihood for majority
of people who generally live in villages. Corporations are
new entrants in village economy. Cattle rearing was till date
a farmer's business next only to agriculture since farming
depended on pair of bullocks and milk was the main nutrition.
Corporations with new advances in agriculture and animal husbandry
invest more money than farmers can do and hence a farmer feels
free to give farms to corporations. Although corporations
harvest more yields and incidentally more profits.
The
farmer is certainly a loser of his farm which provided him
and his family food, and cattle his manure and means to plough
and transport for his produce. Corporations go to upset village
economy in that farmer is thrown out of work and he is tempted
to migrate. Corporations have begun to industrialize the process
in livestock. They are successful more in piggery, poultry
and fishery while only commercial few breeds of cattle are
developed at the cost of local breeds. Local breeds possess
the ability to adapt to their environment and even to continue
environment sustainability. Unless the farmers owning farms
continue in their farming, the farmers' economy is bound to
suffer. The Govt should come out liberally to help in all
respects so that farmers continue to harvest higher yields
in line with MNCs. Politicians appear to be at this task.
Thus banks on hooves is a title appropriate since bullocks
are very important in the present higher prices of fossil
fuels.
SS Chitwadgi, Bhopal
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