Brief description of the scheme indicating the main objectives and components
Over 90 percent of all livestock and poultry are owned by small holders and it forms a major source of their family income. The income from livestock is more equitably distributed than income from crops.
The livestock sector also has a considerable impact on rural employment. Women account for two thirds of all labour incurred in dairy and other livestock enterprises. Further, in the absence of mechanization almost all the power requirement for agriculture operations is provided by livestock. The livestock account for 22 percent of GDP of agriculture sector without accounting for contribution made by animal power and manurial value of animal dung.
Despite large livestock population, the productivity of the stock is very low. The State has the lowest per capita availability of livestock products; milk 83 gms per day, meat 2 gms per day and eggs only 20 nos per capita per year, much lower than the national average. Large quantity of milk, eggs and pork products are imported from other parts of the country to meet the state's requirement, explaining the large demand-supply gap indicating vast potential market available for milk, egg and meat.

Considering the above facts, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department has taken up the challenge to tackle the whole situation.
Cattle are most important amongst various species of animal. Most of the cattle are small in size and of no descript type with low production potential. They mature late and produce 1.0 to 2.0 liters of milk per day with long calving intervals.
The production system followed in rural areas is extensive in nature with cattle being left loose for grazing. Most of the cattle have to subsist on poor quality roughage like paddy and wheat straws supplemented with small quantities of agricultural bi-products. The production of leguminous fodder is not popular. The compound feed industry is in its infancy and feeding of concentrate is limited to crossbreds, other high producing animals in milk shed areas.

The developmental strategy in cattle has concentrated on intervention to improve the cattle for milk production. The cross-breeding programme has resulted in production of sizable population of crossbred cattle producing on an average 4-5 liters of milk per day (average lactation yield 1,120 - 1,400 ltrs). They mature early and have better breeding efficiency. The State Cattle Breeding Policy formulated in 2002 continues to place emphasis on cross breeding with Jersey bulls in most areas of the State and use of Holstein bulls restricted to certain specified areas.

The Broad Objective of the Project:
(a) Improvement of equity and poverty alleviation
(b) Improvement of nutrition of rural poor
(c) Acceleration of growth of the livestock farmers
(d) Capacity building of State Government technical services for project planning and implementation
(e) Association of community in project activities with NGOs as facilitators
(f) Commitment to the liberalization process
(g) Entrepreneurship development, exposure visit of farmers outside and inside the state
h) Employment generation

Major Components:

1. Cattle Breeding
     a) Assistance to ALDA as start up cost
     b) Functioning of Frozen Semen Production Centre and A.I centres
     c) Training
     d) Consultancy for preparation of ALDA's business and management plan
     e) Doorstep delivery of A.I services to the farmers
     f) Engagement of Private A.I workers (Gopal Mitra) in uncovered
        areas by the department for self employment

2. Disease control (Animal Health), Organization of Animal Health camps and Calf Rallies in Artificial Insemination Centre
3. Animal Nutrition ( Fodder Development)
4. Strengthening of the Bull Mother Farm, Barapeta
4. Project Implementation Unit
5. Poultry and Duck Development
a) Backyard Poultry farming
6. Goat Development. Selective breeding of local goat.
7. Pig Development
8. Capacity building: Training of technical officers and exposure visit of farmers inside and outside the state.

Beneficiaries:
Normally the male farmers are treated as beneficiaries. For small animal development, more emphasis has been given to the women's section of the society.