Assessment of Training Needs of Livestock Owners as Perceived by Field Veterinarians in Jammu District of Jammu and Kashmir, India

Abstract

Training is an essential element for appropriate human resource development, which enhances decision making ability of an individual. In India there is a pressing need for efficient human resource development in livestock sector to improve quality of livestock and to increase both quality and quantity of livestock products and, this may be achieved through training of the livestock farmers on scientific animal husbandry practices. The present study was conducted in Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir state to assess the training needs of livestock owners as perceived by field veterinarians. Ex-post-facto research design and, multistage random sampling plan was followed for the selection of ultimate respondents. Sixty veterinarians working in Jammu district were randomly selected and were given suitably developed questionnaire to document their opinions regarding training-needs of livestock owners. The questions were in six broad groups (breeding, feeding, housing & management, health care, preparation and preservation of livestock products and marketing and finance) and were for evaluation of perceived training- needs in their respective sections. Respondents were asked to rate them in three point continuum i.e. most needed, needed, and least needed with their respective scores of 3, 2 and 1, based on importance of perceived training needs of livestock owners felt by field veterinarians. The summation of scores achieved by the respondents constituted the level of perceived training-needs in each sub-area. Findings of the study revealed that, veterinarians felt “estrous cycle and time of breeding”, “balanced ration feeding and its economical composition”, “care and management of new born/pregnant/productive/sick animals”, “zoonotic diseases and their transmission”, “preparation and preservation of milk and milk products” and “banking & insurance” as  the most  training needed areas of livestock owners.