Vol. 9, Special Issue 2 (2024)

Author(s): Vismaya KC and SS Dolli

Abstract: Livestock contributes to development enormously through nutrition, improved agricultural output, financial and social functions and this sector plays multi-faceted role in socio-economic development of the country. Livestock is the second most impacted subsector after crops, accounting for 36 percent of all damage and losses reported in the post-disaster assessments. This study was undertaken to know the impact of natural calamities (flood and drought) on socio-economic status of the dairy farmers. The Ex-post-facto research design was adopted for the study. Belgaum district experienced flood during 2021 and Gadag was affected by drought during 2018-19, therefore these two districts were selected for the study. Purposive random sampling method was employed to select sixty dairy farmers each from flood and drought affected area from Belgaum and Gadag respectively. The interview schedule was developed by consulting experts and referring to the relevant literature. The results revealed that in case of flood affected area, higher percent change was observed in case of fodder availability (62.36%) and farm power possession (41.16%), while change was moderate in case of asset possession (15.28%) and borrowing status (14.83%), farmers experienced unprecedented floods and severe drought which caused loss of assets on one hand and inability to purchase new assets due to financial crisis. This negative impact is due to loss of fodder crop and loss of the stocks stored by the farmers due to floods resulting in fodder scarcity and in case of drought higher percent change was observed in case of fodder availability (15.47%), while change was moderate in case borrowing status (3.86%) and education status (3.11%). Low social participation of the farmers in social institutions like SHGs, milk cooperatives had made it difficult to take loan from them. After the occurrence of natural calamity, 37.50 percent of dairy farmers were found under medium category followed by low (31.67%) and high (30.83%) category of socio economic status. The findings also revealed that the dairy farmers borrowed/purchased food items, fodder, fuel and finance from friends/relatives/neighbours and government aids as coping strategy during natural calamities. The problem of shortage of fodder must be addressed jointly by the government and community. Community managed fodder banks and relief camps should be promoted. A comprehensive system of forecast, warning, monitoring and managing natural calamities by the government in partnership with community is necessary to minimize the impact of natural calamities on dairy farms.