Empowering 12500 Women Pashu Sakhies to be Livestock trade facilitators : The Pashu Bajaar Way

With over 70% marginal farmers depending on livestock , its market efficiency is vital to ensure equity and growth of rural India. However present focus in livestock largely remained large ruminant focused and that too milk centric. This has adversely affected diversification and stablisation of income to rural poor, who significantly depend on small livestock. Various studies have shown livestock ownership had been an empowering element for rural women and provides much needed household nutrition. Small livestock has worked as insurance to tide over adverse effect of climatic change and unpredicted rains or absence of it in rural landscape. However proportionate attention on livestock market has never been a priority...Time has come to transform it to transform rural Livelihoods and secure urban supply of livestock products in hygienic and secured condition.

In last two years Pashubajaar.com team studied 65 livestock market places ( Weekly or fortnightly livestock mandies) in India spread over 6 states having 60% sample from Uttar Pradesh itself. Study findings has following major observations -

Infrastructural issues -

1. 70% of livestock mandies are organised in a filthy premises area and had a high chance of diseases spread and contamination.

2. Basic facility for human and animal like drinking water, shades and animal overnight store facility is available with only 20% mandies

Participation issues -

1. 93% of seller and buyer interviewed are traders and only 7 % direct participation of livestock farmer was observed. Participation differed in various states and livestock mandies ( Sates 3% to 21% and mandies varies with 1% producer participation to highest 25%)

2. Women participation in livestock mandies is less than 0.01% percent with very high difference between states. Highest women participation was observed in Maharashtra and lowest in U.P

Based on study, Pashubajaar.com (Under aegis of N.N Breeds & Seeds India Pvt Ltd) worked on alternative model of goat trading development concept but our experiences suggest that could hardly work as following problems have been observed -

Pashubajaar.com has been promoting virtual mandies through mobile phone and web based applications. As per strategy following steps had been implemented -

Step 1 – Pashu sakhi will weight digitally every week and declare price of goats . In initial months, we will declare price of all goats/bucks/kids (over 3 months) and provide a slip of paper with price as per operation format. A consolidation of all such goats will be kept by Pashu Sakhi.

Step 2 – Afterwards only those goat owner, who wants to sale will request Pashu Sakhi to assess the price and will have to pay Rs 5 per goat for price assessment

Step 3 – For person willing to sale goat following information will be recorded in Pashu sakhi register

Sex, Teeth, Grade, Weight and Farmers quoted price
It is converted as a code for example M2B32-4500

Pashu Sakhi will individual message for each goat/buck/kid to Pashubjaar.com server.

Steps 3 – All such data are consolidated automatically by web based server and will be shared with Local procurement team

Step 4 - Any SHG or Non SHG member/ clients willing to purchase goats will send a message with following details –

Purchase item –

Male/Female- M/F

Size – Adult /Kid – A/D

Quality – A/B/C

Price range –5000

Code will be as follows –

MAA5000 – Decoded - Male Adult of grade A costing maximum Rs 5000

Step 5 – Cluster Livestock Trade center consolidate such demand, will look for nearest goat seller matching to criteria and will inform about goat.

Promoting local sale for quality goat rearing and conservation

Step 6 – Buyer may visit or directly contact for goat through Pashu Sakhi. Number of concerned Pashu Sakhi provided to purchaser or seller and not of goat farmers.

Step 7 – Pashu Sakhi facilitate trade and charge 1% (Min Rs 25) from buyer and 0.5 % (Min Rs 10) from seller as process facilitation charge.

www.pashubajaar.com have started local city and cluster chapters to facilitate aggregation of such data and making available it to local traders and purchasers on a small fee.

For Bulk supply to distant customers

All quality goats are uploaded on www.pashubajaar.com for sale and sales team uses it as samples for client acquisition from various organizations and large traders, meat processors.

Major objectives of marketing intervention –

1. Enhance farm gate price by 10 to 20% through enhancing efficiency of existing market channels

2. To enhance transparency in goat trade by promoting quality grading live body weight based pricing

3. To enable target women to easily sale and purchase goats by creating local information exchange system

4. To meet local demand of goat products (meat/manure) to enhance human and soil health of the area

Products for marketing –

1. Live goat for breeding & farming

2. Live goat for Bakra id, religious sacrifice to fetch better rates

3. Goat feed, herbals as packaged product

4. Frozen high quality buck semen for breed improvement

5. Goat meat for local demand

There are following market segments which is targeted –

1. Demand of quality goats by other SHG members or new loan linked members – This will be facilitated through putting goat demand to collectives or through CLM and demand consolidation & dissemination in CLM review meeting

2. Local demand of meat especially demand of SHG members – A group based demand forecast will be consolidated through SMS and supply plan for same will be developed.

3. Demands of city based customers for goat meat through online order booking

4. Bakara id buck supply and institutional demand based supply

We invite likeminded individuals/ organisations/CSRs to participate in transformation of livestock market through technology based interventions, which can enhance efficiency and competitiveness of this sector.

Please write us at nnbreeds@gmail.com for further information or partnership process.....

Published by

Prof Sanjeev Kumar

Founder – Pashubajaar.com