Impact of recommended livestock technologies on knowledge and practices of resource poor individuals in Naurangabad, Tarn Taran, Punjab, India

Scheduled caste group occupies more than a quarter of the total population in Punjab, India. This category deprived off in terms of livelihood security, due to non-availability of regular employment. However, these masses have some means of earning in form of livestock, which can be source of income generation when this asset may be intervened with recommended scientific technologies. Taking these points into consideration, it was a thought of interest to mobilize resource poor households (involving both male and female individuals) through conducting skill-oriented vocational trainings, aiming at promulgation of knowledge on recommended technologies in dairy farming and value addition. Under two different training programmes, a total number of 50 individuals (25 individual per training) were trained during the year 2020-21 in District Tarn Taran, Punjab, India and their knowledge gained was being strengthened with livestock inputs such as area-specific mineral mixture, uromin lick, printed literature and scientific magazine in regional language post training. Further, pre and post knowledge and milk quality (milk yield, percentages of fat and solid not fat) assessment were conducted. The findings indicated a positive impact of extension interventions on above-mentioned parameters. Among those, an improvement in knowledge parameter depicts Quantum of Improvement score as 4.2 which is adequately good to abet clean milk production and enhance the quality of milk through practicing scientific methods. Furthermore, a Self-Help Group was established to ensure livelihood security to the resource poor households. Besides, an average increment of 12.60, 0.21 and 0.45 per cent was observed in milk yield, fat and solid not fat parameters, correspondingly. To reiterate, it is stated that self-sufficiency of destitute population can be ensured through recommended livestock technologies.