RATNAGIRI

Livestock rearing is a secondary occupation for most farmers in Raigad, complementing agriculture. According to locals, it provides income stability, with cattle, buffaloes, goats, sheep, and poultry raised across talukas like Alibag, Pen, and Roha. Farmers integrate animal husbandry with crops like rice and mangoes, using livestock for milk, meat, and manure.

Nondescript cattle are adapted to Raigad’s humid climate, dominate, yielding one to two liters of milk daily. Breeds like Deoni and Gir, valued for higher milk output, are less common but present in talukas like Panvel. Cattle feed on kukus (rice straw), maize stalks, and oilseed cakes, sourced from local fields. Murrah buffaloes, producing six to eight liters daily, lead dairy farming, with Nagpuri breeds being rarer. Buffaloes graze on green fodder from irrigated lands, supporting small cooperatives in Karjat. Osmanabadi and Beetal goats, reared for meat, thrive in herds of ten to twenty, fed pachrangi fodder (wheat, tur, grain shells). Social enterprises promote goat farming among indigenous communities in talukas like Khalapur to combat poverty, with families raising goats for sale at one hundred to two hundred rupees each. Deccani sheep, raised for wool and meat in Matheran, are less common, fed grass and crop residues. Poultry farming, a primary income for some, involves Kadaknath and Leghorn breeds, supplying eggs to markets in Alibag.

Hand milking has shifted to machines in dairy-heavy areas like Panvel, boosting efficiency. Tractors have replaced bullocks for plowing, reflecting mechanization. Grazing in forests, once common, is rare; farmers grow fodder, feeding livestock directly. These changes align with Raigad’s modernization and agricultural growth.

Veterinary care supports Raigad’s livestock, with hospitals and clinics in talukas like Alibag, Panvel, and Neral. Facilities include:

• Veterinary Hospital, Alibag, offering vaccinations and surgeries.
• Pet Care Clinic, Panvel, provides emergency care and diagnostics.
• Mobile Veterinary Units, serving rural areas like Roha.

The state runs programs under the National Livestock Mission, providing artificial insemination and disease control training. Workshops on breeding and vaccination, part of the Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases program, reach farmers.

Raigad’s 240-km coastline drives a robust marine fisheries sector, supplemented by inland fisheries in rivers and reservoirs. The district produces thirty thousand to forty thousand metric tonnes of fish annually.

Marine fisheries center on fish landing centers like Aagrav, Karanja, and Alibag Koliwada, with Karanja Fishing Port exporting fish worth four hundred fifty to five hundred crore rupees yearly. Species include pomfret, mackerel, Bombay duck, and prawns, caught using gill nets and mechanized boats. The Koli and Bhoi communities, rooted in Konkan traditions, lead fishing, with some Gonds and Muslims involved part-time. Inland fisheries in rivers like the Kundalika and reservoirs yield carp (Rohu, Catla) and catfish. Aquaculture, notably Asian Sea bass (Jitada) farming, uses local knowledge. The state’s first fish seed farm, established in Khopoli in 1955, supports inland production.

Fish markets in Alibag and Panvel sell fresh catches daily from 6:00 am to 12:00 pm, with traders supplying restaurants and exporters. Silt accumulation at Karanja Port, reducing operational efficiency, is a challenge, according to locals.