Sustainability of the grazing and feeding resources for sheep during the non-migratory period in Jammu and Kashmir

Sheikh Shubeena; Abdul Hai; S A Hamdani; A H Akand; Insha Amin; Subata Mahboob; Shiasta Seedat-Un Nissa; Shahzada Mudasir Rashid

doi:10.1007/s11250-022-03277-6

Sustainability of the grazing and feeding resources for sheep during the non-migratory period in Jammu and Kashmir

Trop Anim Health Prod. 2022 Sep 12;54(5):292. doi: 10.1007/s11250-022-03277-6.

Authors

Sheikh Shubeena¹, Abdul Hai¹, S A Hamdani¹, A H Akand¹, Insha Amin², Subata Mahboob³, Shiasta Seedat-Un Nissa⁴, Shahzada Mudasir Rashid⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir, Kashmir, India, 190006.
² Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (SKUAST-K), Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar Kashmir, India, 190006.
³ Department of Animal Nutrition, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir, Kashmir,, India, 190006.
⁴ Department of Poultry Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir, Kashmir, India, 190006.
⁵ Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences (SKUAST-K), Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir, Shuhama, Alusteng, Srinagar Kashmir, India, 190006. mudasir@skuastkashmir.ac.in.

PMID: 36094539
DOI: 10.1007/s11250-022-03277-6

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the sustainability of the grazing and feeding resources of the sheep in Kashmir, India. The study was conducted in the Ganderbal District of Kashmir to evaluate sustainability, along with the scenario of grazing pattern and feeding system of the sheep during the non-migratory period. The district was divided into three production zones based on altitude, i.e., zone I (high altitude), zone II (medium altitude), and zone III (low altitude). A total of 360 sheep farmers were interviewed from the three zones that consist of 9 blocks, with 40 sheep farmers interviewed from each block. Majority of the sheep farmers (75.00%) follow a semi-migratory type of production system, use forest, and low-mountain areas for grazing purposes (48.88%) and were having medium to high availability of grazing lands. The main feeding source available to majority of the sheep farmers (60.00%) was found to be crop residues and fodder grasses, with local markets (60.00%) and fellow farmers (71.11%) being the main source of procuring concentrates and fodders. Hybrid entropy and TOPSIS method were used for the evaluation of sustainability of grazing and feeding system in the area. The most influencing factors for sustainability of grazing pattern and feeding source were found to be production system followed and the major feed sources available respectively. Most of the variables included in the grazing system were ideally best in zone I and of feeding system were found to be ideally best in zone III. There is a need for improvement in the parameters of the grazing pattern in zone III, i.e., in low-altitude areas or planes where grazing lands are shrinking at an alarming rate. The parameters under the feeding system need due consideration in zone I, i.e., in the high altitudes where the socio-economic situation of the people is comparatively poor than the other two zones.

Keywords: Feeding; Grazing; Production system; Sheep; Sustainability; Transhumance.

MeSH terms

Altitude
Animal Feed*
Animals
Farmers*
Humans
India
Poaceae
Sheep