Assessment of the status, challenges and opportunities of goat marketing in Puducherry: A field-based survey

Abstract

Goats are highly adaptable livestock with strong nutritional stability. In the context of increasing global warming and frequent natural disasters, goat farming presents a valuable opportunity for income generation, especially for poor and marginal farmers. The objective of the study was to understand the current market structure and marketing constraints, assess demand and pricing strategies, explore market channels, and examine the economic status of goat farming in the Puducherry region. A well-structured interview schedule based survey was conducted with 60 randomly selected goat farmers (N=60) from six revenue villages in Puducherry. The survey revealed that 66.66% of goat meat was sold within villages, with male kids mostly sold at 7-12 months of age (48.33%). Primary marketing channels included butchers (61%), traders (15%), and other farmers (15%). Key challenges included inadequate market infrastructure (45%) and distant market locations (25%). Purchasing constraints were lack of loan facilities (40%), seller malpractices (20%) and unregulated markets (15%). The study concludes that goat marketing in Puducherry remains largely unorganized, dominated by traders and butchers, with minimal government support.