ANIMAL HUSBANDRY

The total livestock population of the district is 17.63 lakhs out of which 4.46 lakhs are cattle, while buffaloes accounted for 5.24 lakhs, goat 2.85 lakhs, sheep 4.06 lakhs, pigs 0.13 lakhs and others 0.92 lakhs. The poultry population of the district is 16.39 lakhs. During the past few years, the District Rural development Agency schemes has taken up some economic support with the co-operation and co-ordination of Scheduled Caste and Backward Class Co-operative Society and other financial institutions and distributed a number of milch animals, bullocks, calves and sheep and goats to the economically weaker sections of the society. Fisheries - Out of the 15 taluks, 7 are upland and 8 are coastal taluks, Besides two anicuts to Pennar river at Sangam and Nellore, the inland resources of this district comprise 281 perennial tanks, 328 long seasonal tanks and 505 short seasonal tanks, with a total water spread area of 135404 acres, out of which 33600 acres form the effective water spread area for intensive pisciculture. Apart from these, the pulicat lake has got a brackish water spread of 678 sq. miles, (1762 sq. kms.). All these sources account for an annual production of 2000 m. tonnes of fish and prawan valuing about Rs.87.00 lakhs. A present, there is one fish farm at Ipur and 3 farms at Kavali, Padugupadu and Padamatipalem, The total nursery space available in all the fish seed farms and fish farm is 1.30 acres only. At all these places, prawn is imported from outside for rearing and supplying for stocking in tanks. In addition to the 13.93 lakhs fish seed available from these local seed farms, it is estimated that about 40.00 lakhs of fish seed is imported from outside the district. Sericulture - The cultivation of mulberry and rearing of cocoon is spreading well in the district. This has resulted in the demand for market for the cocoons produced in the district. At present, the market is only in Karnataka and as such, the producers in the district are not able to get just price for their produce. In this connection, it was decided by the Government, to start a silk rearing unit at Nellore by the end of 1984-85.

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