Animal husbandry: Livelihood security of small and marginal farmers in India

poverty alleviation in rural area. It also important for rural economy as supplementing family incomes and generating gainful employment particularly among the landless, labourers, small and marginal farmers and women’s. India supports approximately 18 per cent of the livestock population on 2.5 per cent of its geographical area (Forest survey of India, 2000). The livestock sector contribute national economy in terms of gross domestic product is 4.1 per cent (BAHS, 2014). As many as 75 million women are engaged in the livestock sector as against 15 million men. In India about 72 per cent of the rural population, 57 per cent of the householders keep livestock as important source of income. In rural area of country 73 per cent peoples have their own livestock (Chawla et al., 2002). Indian people get about 20 per cent of their total income from livestock (Vandana, 1996). Over the last two decades, livestock sector has grown at an annual rate of 5.6 per cent, which is higher than the growth of agricultural sector (3.3%). Delgado et al. (1999) reported