Goats have been described as “poor people’s cows.” Climate constraints and landlessness have become a struggle for many such families, making it difficult for them to depend upon agriculture as a primary source of income, and leading to a shift to other earning sources in the form of petty cash. This is the case of Narnaul, Mahendragarh region of Haryana, where families migrate to metropolitan cities, leaving behind their homes for stable income generation and an improved quality of life.
With a focus on marginal farmers and those deprived of land, S M Sehgal Foundation, with the support of HDFC Bank Parivatan, a CSR-led project, encased the livestock activity in every project village. The primary approach was to reach households interested in rearing goats for the long run and gaining practical experience. This helps to increase the farmers’ income.
A herd of goats is supposed to be grown for at least a year, and the male goat can be sold off if needed. This allows the rearer to increase the herd size regularly, making this a source of generating extra income, a liquid asset in the form of a handsome sum. Among the fifty-one goat-rearing units provided across the project villages, three goats [two does and one buck] were provided to Geeta, a project beneficiary from Jakhni village, with mutual agreement among all stakeholders.
Geeta received the goats in January. With the limited resources available to her, she dedicatedly reared the herd, taking the required precautions and care to check mortality and predation. Her persistence led to increasing the herd size by another two bucks. Furthermore, with an average production of 2.25 liters of milk daily, she sold around 1.25 liters daily, and used the remaining 1 liter for her family. Her herd size of five units currently values around INR 32,000/-. Two of her goats are expected to deliver in July, which will further add to her total capital.
Looking at her aspiration to lead a more secure life, she plans to increase the herd beyond the current size and convert her micro unit to a goat farm. Moreover, the less-popular activity within the vicinity is now proving an assured source of livelihood and can be taken as a primary occupation.
Contact us 
Sign up for