Important factors affecting sustainable livelihood of camel dairying in changing scenario of desert ecosystem

Abstract

The changing scenario of desert ecosystem data were collected meticulously from 141 farmer families of Bikaner district to find out the association of important factors with sustainable livelihood of camel dairying. The households belonged to 14 villages out of which 2 villages were from each of the 7 tehsils, which were predominantly camel rearing regions. Sustainable livelihood encompasses appropriate use of camel as milch animal in changing scenario resulting in generation of adequate income and employment, ensuring food and nutritional security for family, conserving environment, effective input recycling which was ascertained by developing a sustainable livelihood index (SLI). The chi-square analysis of sustainable livelihood of camel dairying (SLCD) with important socio-personnel factors indicated that family size and communication pattern have a significant association with SLCD. The social participation of farmers have significant association with SLCD at 5% level. The analysis of data of important tech-economical variables indicated that market accessibility and land holding were having significant association with SLCD. The camel keeping patterns showed a highly significant association with SLCD. Some factors like farmer’s age, education, cropping pattern, and other livestock holding played important role towards camel dairying. Most of farmers were milking their camel through knuckling method and a few practiced hand stripping method. Milking was done in standing position by farmers. Presently, camel milk marketing proceeds entirely in the informal sector but major attraction of camel milk is its lower price at village level but high price at city level, due to imbalance between demand and supply. The need-based training and front-line demonstration of scientific camel dairying to farmers through suitable extension programme would provide impetus to practice profitable camel dairying. It will enhance the household income of camel keepers in changing scenario of desert ecosystem.