Traditional Knowledge vs Modern Practices: The Struggle for Sustainable Livestock in Jharkhand

Jharkhand’s tribal communities have a long history of goat rearing and backyard poultry. For generations, these practices have not just provided food and income, but also played a central role in cultural traditions and household security. However, the livestock sector in these regions now stands at a crossroads, where age-old wisdom and modern practices are often in conflict rather than complementing each other.

The Strength of Traditional Knowledge: Tribal livestock keepers possess a deep understanding of their local environment. Their knowledge is often experience-driven, built over centuries of observation:

• Indigenous Breeds: Local goats and poultry are hardy, disease-resistant and well-suited to Jharkhand’s climate.

• Ethnoveterinary Practices: Use of herbs, ash, neem, turmeric and local remedies for wounds, parasites and digestion issues.

• Free-Range Systems: Goats graze in forest fringes and poultry scavenge around homesteads, reducing feed costs.

• Community Sharing: Exchange of breeding animals within the village sustains genetic diversity and social ties.

These practices ensure low-cost livestock keeping. However, with rising demands for productivity, traditional methods often fall short in addressing modern challenges.

Where Modern Practices Come In: Scientific livestock management has introduced new solutions that promise higher productivity and lower mortality:

• Vaccination & Preventive Health Care: Control of diseases like PPR, Enterotoxaemia, Coccidiosis and Ranikhet.

• Improved Breeding: Crossbreeding for higher meat and milk yield.

• Balanced Feeding: Scientific rationing, mineral mixtures and supplemental feeding.

• Housing & Sanitation: Controlled environments to reduce predation and disease spread.

• Market Linkages: Connecting smallholders to value chains and ensuring better returns.

Yet, adoption practically very slow. Farmers often hesitate due to cost, lack of awareness and distrust of outside interventions.

The Struggle Between Two Worlds: The clash is not just technical—it is social and cultural.

• Accessibility: Veterinary services are scarce in tribal interiors; reaching the farmer with vaccines and medicines is difficult.

• Affordability: Scientific feed and supplements are costly for subsistence farmers.

• Trust & Belief Systems: Traditional remedies are deeply ingrained and farmers may resist shifting to new practices.

• Knowledge Gap: Training programs are often one-off and do not address the local realities or language barriers.

This struggle leaves many farmers caught in a cycle of low productivity, recurring disease outbreaks and financial vulnerability.

The Way Forward: Blending Wisdom with Science: Sustainable livestock development in Jharkhand requires an approach that respects and integrates both traditional knowledge and modern practices.

• Community-Based Training: Using Pashu Sakhis (community animal health workers) to bridge the gap.

• Participatory Methods: Involving farmers in designing solutions that build on their knowledge.

• Low-Cost Innovations: Promoting practices like improved low-cost housing, locally available mineral supplements and herbal + modern treatment blends.

• Policy Support: Strengthening last-mile veterinary door step service delivery and ensuring inclusion of tribal farmers in livestock development schemes.

The future of goat and backyard poultry farming in Jharkhand lies in harmony, not replacement. Traditional knowledge provides resilience, while modern practices bring efficiency and disease control. Together, they can ensure that livestock remains not just a source of food and income, but a pillar of sustainable livelihoods for tribal families.

Contrasting Worlds: A visual representation of the clash between traditional and modern livestock practices in Jharkhand, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for sustainable development.