SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF STRAY CATTLE ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN BAREILLY DIVISION, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

The present study suggests that stray cattle have become a major socio-economic burden of the farming community in the Bareilly Division of Uttar Pradesh. The data show that a large majority of farmers face recurring crop loss due to stray cattle grazing and trampling, resulting in a considerable decline in agricultural output and farm income. The generality of the problem in varied agricultural systems was shown by the fact that wheat, mustard, sugarcane, potato and vegetable crops were found to be most sensitive. Statistical testing revealed a strong and significant connection between the number of cattle and damage to crops. The positive correlation of livestock population and agricultural loss and excellent explanatory power of the regression model show that the pressure of stray cattle is a key factor of the destruction of crops in the study area. Results also show that larger agricultural estates are more vulnerable to animal encroachment, which raises the economic burden on farmers. Besides economic losses, the study also highlights important social impacts, including higher labor demands, sleep deprivation, physical fatigue, and psychological stress related to nighttime crop protection efforts. All these repercussions together impact on the general well-being and livelihood security of the rural households. The findings suggest that current management practices and government actions have not been effective enough in addressing the growing threat from stray cattle. Hence a holistic approach is urgently needed, including installation of cow shelters, usage of animal identification and tracking technologies, schemes for recompense of farmers, community-based livestock management and stronger enforcement of cattle abandonment regulations. The study concludes that careful management of stray cattle is required for increasing agricultural production, maintaining the livelihood of farmers and promoting sustainable rural development in Uttar Pradesh. This study will provide the relevant information to the policy makers to come up with effective and long-term strategies to lessen the agricultural losses caused by cattle.

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