BENGALURU: “We started goat farm activities in 2010, and had not a clue about what it was. We took expert opinions from the department and even procured 185 goats from them. But they all died because of wrong practice and guidance,” said Srinivas Acharya, who totalled the total losses to be Rs 4 crores.
Acharya, a farmer who exhibited his products at the Farmer’s Science Congress, began his own research and development and learnt that ‘stall feed goat farming’ was the best method. He established Yashodhavana in Mysuru, and is now educating other farmers in and around Nanjangud taluk, Mysuru. He has further developed products around goat milk, including soap. He has created notes on parameters to gauge the quality of the goat breed, best feeding patterns, and market for goat farming. He said there was tremendous potential with increasing awareness on the health benefits of goat milk.
After learning that the sector was highly unorganised, Acharya even tabled out a recommendation at the National Consultation on Agri-startups for smart farming, where he systematically jotted down expenditure versus profits, and asked the government to train farmers in stall feeding.