Economic implication of diseases in goats in India with reference to implementation of a health plan calendar

The role of goats in the economy of the rural resource poor in India and economic losses due to mortality and morbidity at micro and macro level is important. Goats contribute more than 52% of households’ total income towards nutrition and food security of the family of goat keepers. The mortality and morbidity losses due to diseases in goats were estimated at field level inMathura district of Uttar Pradesh State, India. The mortality rates for small, medium and large categories of goat keeping were 32.8, 32.1 and 15.8% in kids and 31.2, 19.9 and 14.9% in adult goats, respectively. The losses due to diseases in goats scaled at national level were estimated at Rs. 11,720 million per annum. The adoption of prophylactic and preventive measures in goats could result in a net savings of Rs. 5144 million per annum to the economy of the country. The study demonstrates a need to use available technology to prevent diseases in goats. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved