Abstract
This study was undertaken to examine the effect of improved production and management practices of goat and poultry on livelihoods of landless farmers through participatory learning action, impact assessment, action research and up scaling of communication products. The PLA confirmed that livestock are commonly kept by poor and very poor people in small numbers (e.g. 3-4 head of poultry, one goat), and typically are not kept continuously because they are used as a store of value and may be sold to meet expenditure needs. Livestock products are not consumed on a regular basis and do not make a consistent contribution to household well-being. However, to keep more livestock (and particularly large stock, notably cattle) tends to rank high among poor people's aspirations. The Impact Assessment examined the experience of 60 landless households who had taken loans for livestock enterprises. Most of these (68%) had used the loans for cattle and the majority reported that they had realised benefits. However, around one third had made a loss as a result of mortality (mostly poultry enterprises) and they were still required to repay their loan. Lenders in general provide no technical support or advice to borrowers, and this, together with uncertain access to veterinary services, makes livestock enterprises risky. Borrowers from most of the NGO micro-credit lenders found that they had to meet a schedule of repayments which was not linked to the pattern of returns from their livestock enterprises, so needed to use other income to make the loan repayments. The Action Research (AR) phase of the project was undertaken with groups of poor, landless women in 3 separate villages in Mymensingh and Netrakona Districts. All of the participants achieved benefits in terms of increased income and (importantly) enhanced assets. These in some cases were very small in monetary terms but were highly valued by beneficiaries. There were very few dropouts from the participants during the research and a sizeable number have continued livestock keeping after the end of the project. Problems were the relatively high mortality (of poultry in particular but also pigs, post project), also the tensions caused by encroachment stock (of all types) on the land of (wealthier) neighbours. For up scaling of the communication products, Youth Training Centers (YTC) under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Bangladesh were selected. Out of the 47 YTCs, 08 were selected from different locations covering a wide range of Bangladesh. The eight selected centers located in Mymensingh, Bogra, Rangpur, Sylhet, Patuakhali, Dhaka, Chittagong and Cox's Bazar. Poster, booklet, video discussions were used as communication products. The products distribution programs to the trainees all over the Bangladesh were very effective and helpful. All the products were equally effective to the audience in terms of quality. The products will obviously help for better management and production of livestock. More research is needed for poverty reduction for up scaling of livestock technologies to the rural poor farmers in Bangladesh.