The Hindu Business Line : Easier permit norms for sheep grazing in reserve forests urged

Sheep rearers in Tamil Nadu are piqued by the procedural hassles in obtaining permission of the forest department for sheep grazing in reserve forests.

Though the Government has lifted the ban on sheep grazing in reserve forests way back in 2000, rearers still have to obtain the forest authorities permission to do so. There has been no fee involved in securing such departmental permission.

Yet, the procedure of getting the official sanction has never been smooth and often the issue of official permission is marked by the whimsical attitude of the lower rung officials, according to Mr Vyapuri, President of the Salem-based United Farmers Association.

Demanding that there should be a stable and conducive procedure of extending the official permission for grazing, Mr Vyapuri also highlighted the need for creating of common sheep grazing zones in each village with minimum 10 hectare of grazing lands extendable further depending on the population of the animals reared in that area.

Considering the fact that raising of sheep is traditionally practiced through migration with growers often shifting places coinciding with the crop season, providing temporary shelters for the animals are a hard task. To mitigate this, there is a case for sanctioning 100 per cent subsidy for sheep growers in procuring roofing materials such as `tarpaulins' used in erecting temporary shelters, he added.

Sheep rearing besides providing alternative income avenue for the drought-hit farmers goes to support wool production and enhances natural manure sources and stabilising ecology.

Mr Vyapuri who is leading a three-member team representing the interests of sheep rearers from Tamil Nadu to the Agri Summit 2006 to be held in Delhi on October 18 and 19, under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said his team would give voice to these aspects at the Delhi meet where the theme is `Mitigating farmers risks; fishing, poultry and dairy: alternative income streams for farmers'.

The other members of the team are Mr Balusamy and Mr Balakrishnan, both office-bearers of the Tamil Nadu Sheep Rearing Farmers Association.

Mr Vyapuri told Business Line the process of certification for organic cultivation needs to be streamlined and simplified as at present, the farming community, especially small farmers, keen on adopting organic farming are left high and dry as the certification process is not well laid out. Apart from the lack of designated agencies for undertaking the certification, the apprehension on the costs involved in securing the certification has rendered organic cultivators vulnerable.

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