It is being recognised more and more that to increase the equitable impact of watershed development, more attention needs to be paid to livestock production, which is a major livelihood activity in most rain fed areas. In addition to providing income through animal and dairy sales, livestock plays an important role in crop production as a source of manure and draught power. Especially in the ecologically fragile areas of semi-arid watersheds, livestock makes an important contribution to the survival of the economically weaker sections. It is even ironic that the watershed guidelines and policies developed by both the central and the state Governments, which for over 30 years have been considered the main catalysts for the development and growth of drought prone areas, have paid only lip service to livestock development. Part of the neglect is due to the focus on dairying, on account of the success of the NDDB. Policies aimed of maximising economic gains from livestock at the national level neglect the needs of the poor.
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