GAURIPUR, Aug 20 - Jiten Kalita, son of Late Narendra Ram Kalita, an educated unemployed youth of Gauripur Town, Ward No-3 has set an example for the job-seeking educated unemployed youths of greater Gauripur area by opening a goat farm in his own house. His efforts to stand on his feet have been appreciated by the enlightened senior citizens of the area.
Originally hailing from the Nalbari district and now a permanent resident of Gauripur, Jiten Kalita started a goat farm in 2003. For the purpose, he bought three goats at Rs 2400. Initially, he was assisted by his parents and sister and gradually he was able to increase the number of goats in his farm. He was lucky, and did not have to look behind.
Presently there are 57 goats in his farm. Among these, there are 11 he goats, 34 she goats and 12 kids. He is also rearing a high species he goat for commercial purposes in order to copulate and charges Rs 100 per copulation. He is now able to earn Rs 5,000 to 7,000 per month.
He purchases grass, tree leaves and chaffs as fodder and spends nearly Rs 1500 per month. He also sells off the she goats after every one or two years and earns a lot of money year after year. He is also planning to rear castrated goats in order to make more profit. But due to non-availability of grazing ground, thefts and lack of medicines, he has to take a step backward. Over and above, these high breed species of goat do not survive long for want of a congenial environment. Presently, Jiten Kalita is leading a happy life with his mother, sister, wife and two children. It is mentionable that he has been managing his farm single handed without any helper.
He painfully informed this correspondent that the death rate of goats is high as there is acute shortage of goat medicines in the market.
Goats generally suffer from bacterial diseases like anthrax, haemorrhagic septecemia, brucellosis etc. They also suffer from viral diseases like Peste Despetitis Ruminants (PPR), foot and mouth disease, goat pox and endo-parasitic diseases like fluke infection, tapeworms, round worm and eco-parasitic infections like ticks, lice etc.
Proper and timely vaccination may help the goat farmers and can check untimely deaths but the department concerned is lagging behind in this regard. So, the goat farmers and the unemployed youths who are willing to start goat farms have appealed to the department concerned to render timely treatment so that they can start goat farming profession like Jiten Kalita of Gauripur without running around for jobs.
