Livestock Population Pattern in Plateau Region: (District-Level Analysis of Madhya Pradesh) And Analysis of Some Government Policies

In This Study, We Assessed The Dynamics OfDistrict-Level Livestock Population In India, Viz. MadhyaPradesh During The Period 2012-19. The Analytical ToolsComprised Of Simple Descriptive Statistics And FittingExponential Trend Equations. We Found Temporal VariationsIn Shares Of Different Species To Total District-WiseLivestock Population. While Population Of Cattle Declined InMadhya Pradesh, The Reverse Situation Was Observed InCase Of Buffaloes. Dynamics Of Changes In Small RuminantPopulation Pointed Towards The Increasing Importance OfGoats As Compared To Sheep. Although, Cattle Are TheLivestock Species On Which The Rural Population MostlyDepend For Their Livelihood In The State, EconomicDependence On Sheep And Pig Is More In Madhya Pradesh.Some Policy Suggestions Have Been Given Based On TheFindings Of The Study On Leveraging The OpportunitiesOffered By Livestock Sector.HIGHLIGHTS• In the context of increasing population pressure andassociated shrinking landholding size, diversificationof agricultural activities becomes crucial.• The role of livestock, on account of more equitabledistribution in favour of resource poor farmers, isimportant for sustainable livelihood security offarmers.• For formulating appropriate policies for developmentof livestock sector, it is necessary to carry outdisaggregated analyses to assess the district-leveltrends and dynamics of livestock population.