Livestock

Today

Providing livestock enables a family to move towards a survival income of $1 per day. We have recently switched from purchasing water buffaloes to purchasing goats and piglets. These are hardier animals and can survive on limited food and water. Female goats are for breeding and male goats are sold for the meat. Goat waste is also used for fertilizer. A kid can be purchased for $30–$55 and later sold for $70–$140.

Pigs are also raised for the meat. A piglet can be purchased for $40–$55 and sold for $140 after one year.

History of Our Involvement

Cows are critical to the village economy. Besides the milk that can be sold or consumed, the dung is used as fuel, or as a building material. Mixed with water, it is used to plaster floors and walls. The bulls are used to draw plows and carts. At PremNagar, most of the families were given cows by Berlin Christian Fellowship. This contribution helped to establish the community in 2001 and by 2006, they were a fairly prosperous community compared to other nearby villages.

Currently, the market value for a healthy water buffalo is $300 to $350 USD. It will produce four to five liters of milk a day, which can be sold for Rs 25 per liter (about $0.30 USD) providing a survival income and nutrition for a family.