Success of Satpuda Poultry Keeping for MPRLP beneficiaries in tribal zone of Madhya Pradesh –
Mr. Levsing displayed his birds in republic day parade of Dhar.
More than 20,000 satpuda doc were supplied to beneficiaries of Madhya Pradesh Rural livelihood Program (MPRLP) in tribal and remote places in Jhabua, Dhar, Badwani districts of Madhya Pradesh in 2008-2009. Landless labour and marginal tribal farmers are very happy with benefits they got from the activity and repeated demand of chicks from them shows that Satpuda Poultry keeping is a sustainable activity for up liftment of family income in tribal area of M.P.
Success story of Levsing from Chamzar village of Dhar district is interesting. Field exposure visits of 245 beneficiaries were arranged by BAIF in 2008 for 20-40 beneficiaries groups. They were given basic practical training of small scale poultry keeping at commercial poultry farm of Yeshwent agritech Pvt. Ltd., Jalgaon. 60 beneficiaries selected Satpuda Poultry farming and they got good returns from this activity.
Levsing from Chamzar village of Dhar district was one of the beneficiaries in exposure visit in Jan. in 2008 he was very keen in getting every information he was convinced goodness of the satpuda birds so he showed interest to book 100 chicks at the time of exposure visit only. Dhar is about 400kms away from the location of hatchery and doorstep chicks delivery only for 100 chicks was not commercially feasible However, considering Levsings interest company marketing director Mr. Bapu Suryawanshi personally gave doorstep delivery to Levsing in his car and gave him guidance at his place Levsing lives in a small hut with his father and two children. His father Mr. Harsing wears tribal traditional Langot only. Levsing is landless labor.
With assistance from MPRLP scheme small hut of 12x15 feet adjacent to his existing hut was prepared by using local available material (Bamboo and thatched roof of teak leaves). He and his wife took every care of birds BAIF field team headed by Dr. Patel continuously supported him in making available inputs like feed, vaccine, medicines. Out of 100 only 4 birds mortality was recorded in first 3 weeks.
Multicolored birds fetch Very high price in this tribal area and Levsing opines that this type of birds are required by adivasis for every family function, pooj, ceremony. Levsing sold 95 birds and he got the rate of Rs 100 per bird, his production cost was Rs. 55 per bird (for 1kg body weight birds). Levsing earned Rs. 3600 profit in 2 months. Many other tribal villagers got motivation from Levsings activity and so also scheme implementing officers got confidence to replicate this model Levsing invested his profit of 2 batches for expansion of poultry farm, for clothes, groceries for his family.
