WOMEN’S SELF-EMPLOYMENT THROUGH GOAT FARMING: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF WOMEN GOAT FARMERS IN THE KONWARPUR AREA OF SIVASAGAR, ASSAM

Abstract

Women’s participation in self-employment and livestock-based economic activities has become an important component of rural livelihood diversification in India. Among small livestock enterprises, goat farming has considerable potential for generating supplementary and, in some cases, primary household income because of its relatively low initial investment, and adaptability to smallholder production systems, reproductive efficiency and demand for goat meat. The present study examines the socio-economic characteristics, economic performance, constraints and entrepreneurial dimensions of self-employed women engaged in goat farming in the Konwarpur area of Sivasagar district, Assam. The study proposes a field survey of 50 women goat farmers selected from 10 villages of the study area, with five respondents from each village. Primary data are collected through a structured interview schedule covering demographic characteristics, education, family structure, herd size, sources of finance, training, production practices, annual expenditure, income, marketing and major constraints. Secondary information is obtained from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, ICAR, Government of Assam and district-level statistical sources. The 20th Livestock Census reported 148.88 million goats in India in 2019, representing a 10.1 per cent increase over 2012. Assam recorded approximately 4.32 million goats in the same census, making goat rearing an important component of the state's livestock economy. The goat population in Sivasagar was estimated around 1.04 lakhs. The study conceptualizes goat farming not merely as a traditional household activity but as a form of women's self-employment and rural entrepreneurship. The illustrative analysis indicates that herd size has a strong positive association with income, while training and institutional credit also appears to improve economic performance. Chi-square analysis and a multiple regression model are proposed to examine these relationships. The study finds that inadequate access to institutional credit, veterinary services, scientific training, quality breeding stock, organized markets and remunerative prices constitute major constraints. Strengthening women's access to finance, technical training, veterinary support, and collective marketing and government livestock schemes can substantially improve the sustainability of women-led goat enterprises in rural Assam.