Year: 2020 | Month: October | Volume 10 | Issue 5
Traditional Health Management vis-à-vis Rearing Practices Followed By the ‘Black Bengal Goat’ Farmers in Nadia District of West Bengal, India
Asif Mohammad
Anupam Chatterjee
DOI:10.30954/2277-940X.05.2020.9
Abstract:
For securing the livelihood of the farmers, the role of small ruminant especially the goat are well established fact. The farmers of Nadia district of West Bengal, which is also the native tract of the Black Bengal goat, reared goats by following traditional practices. A study was conducted to find out the practices followed by the farmers for rearing goats in Nadia district. Data had been collected from 150 respondents belonged to three blocks of Nadia district in West Bengal state of India. Semi-structured interview schedule and PRA techniques were used to collect primary data. ‘Effectiveness Index Scores’ were calculated to identify the effectiveness of several traditional practices followed by the farmers for controlling ailments of Black Bengal goats. Majority of the activities pertaining to goat farming was performed by women farmers but in terms of ownership, the male dominance was observed. Farmers were following different traditional knowledge for curing and/or suppressing ailments of goats. Documentation of locally available plant’s leaves, herbs or material for treating ailments like goat diarrhea, PPR, bloat, FMD etc., was done through the study and their effectiveness as perceived by the farmers were also analyzed. Farmers used to rear their animals in the close confinement of their own household. From the study it can be concluded that, the farmers of Nadia district were maintaining goats as a safeguard of financial insecurity and utilizing locally available ingredients effectively to cure common ailments of the goat.
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