Pilots of Kudumbashree District “Kunjaadu” in Vembayam to promote animal husbandry

Vembayam grama panchayat president Amitha Babu (right) hands over a baby goat to Pushpakumari (left), the recipient, at the inauguration of the Kunjaadu programme.

Kudumbashree District Mission piloted a goat rearing program in Vembayam grama panchayat in Nedumangad block of Thiruvananthapuram district to increase the involvement of surrounding groups in animal rearing activities.

Following is the classification of the Kudumbashree Neighborhood Groups (NHG) according to their level of livestock activity under the ALIVE (Acquiring Livelihood in Veterinary Enterprise) initiative and steps to improve the ranking of those least involved.

Accordingly, Nedumangad block has introduced Kunjaadu scheme under Vembayam Community Development Society (CDS). As part of the project, NHG is identified in the category of least involved in animal husbandry and one of its economically backward members is selected as a beneficiary. A quality goat kid is purchased from CDS’s own funds and given to the recipient for breeding. Once the child becomes an adult and has cubs of its own, one of the children is sold to pay off the CDS loan while the other child is given to another beneficiary to raise. The next time the goat has kids, the first recipient can continue to raise them.

The second recipient will raise the child they received and once they give birth, they will give one of the children to the third recipient.

The Kudumbashree Area Mission expects the initiative to work as a chain system. The increase in the number of beneficiaries is expected to lead to a gradual increase in livestock numbers.

Beneficiaries will be formed into a cluster and people from the Kudumbashree animal husbandry community will monitor and support them through classes. Group-level classes for doctors and animal vaccinations will also be provided, say Kudumbashree Mission officials.

After Vembayam, Kunjaadu will be extended to another CDS in Nedumangad block. Other blocks like Parassala and Perumkadavila have also shown interest in the project, say Kudumbashree officials.

Pushpakumari, a dairy farmer and member of Thanal NHG under Vembayam CDS, is the recipient of the first baby goat under the scheme.

Kunjaadu is the first phase of a special innovation project launched by the Kudumbashree District Mission for sustainable development in the animal husbandry sector in 11 blocks of Thiruvananthapuram district.

Published – 11 Jun 2026 22:23 IST