Economic viability of goat breed improvement programme (Barbari × non-descript) at farmer’s flock in Uttar Pradesh

A goat breed improvement programme was launched during 2007–08 in 20 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Potential Barbari bucks (75) were distributed to 68 goat keepers to improve their non-descript flocks. After 2–3 years, the entire flock achieved 50–87.50% Barbari genome. Thereafter, an impact study was conducted. The mean body weight of improved breed at birth, 6, 12 and 18 months were 1.90±0.08 and 1.80±0.07, 8.20±0.12 and 7.90±0.17, 15.50±0.32 and 13.50±0.18 and 32.50±1.70 and 24.40±2.20 kg in male and female, respectively, which were higher than the existing local goats except birth weight. The improved flock showed lower age at puberty, first conception and first kidding as 240±4.50, 425±4.50 and 605±5.10 days as against local goats i.e. 258±5.50, 450±5.52 and 680±6.10 days, respectively. The multiple births were higher in improved breed (57.30% twins and 8.50% triplets) than local flocks (50.00 and 4.50%). There was significant improvement in prolificacy of improved breed (1.85%) than non-descript (1.50%). The milk yield per day and lactation was significantly higher in Barbari than non-descript. Although, the higher mortalities were observed in Barbari than non-descript. The net return per goat/annum worked out to be Rupees 1207 in Barbari and Rupees 916 in non-descript which was 31.80% higher over local breed. The selling of goat was the major source of income (56.50%) followed by milk (34.40%) and manures (9.10%). The study suggested that Barbary goat breed improvement programme is economically more viable and can be successfully taken up to improve the productivity and profitability of most populous existing local goats at farmer’s field in Uttar Pradesh.