HOW IMPORTANT IS LIVESTOCK ?

Livestock is commonly defined as domesticated animals which are raised in agricultural settings to produce labor and commodities such as eggs, meat, milk, fur, leather, and wool.
The main species of livestock would be chickens, pigs, goats, cattle, horses, buffaloes, and sheep. For the wellbeing of rural households, the livestock species play a very crucial socio-cultural and economic role, such as source of income, livelihoods, food supply, saving as assets, employment source, fertilization of soil, diversified agriculture, and agricultural production which would be sustainable. Livestock species play various roles which results in the wellbeing and development of rural communities.

One of the most important contribution of livestock is for the food supply then be it in urban areas or rural areas as it contributes to the family nutrition i.e supplying animal protein in the form of milk, eggs or/and meat. The consumption would be dependent on the household income, it could be less or more but in each household there would definitely be milk consumption. As the income would increase there would be an increase in the demand of animal protein from that respective household which will be profitable for the seller. Also besides eateries there is demand for livestock products such as skins, hides, and horns for domestic sale.

In rural areas livestock is said to be living savings as it can be converted into cash or loan whenever the family needs. Even today in many rural area livestock or herds are a source of
asset accumulation and a measure of prosperity. It could be easily mobilized and could be seen as a 

'bank account' any time for any unplanned expense at bad times such as illness
of a family member, decrease in the income due to low crop production, and also for satisfactory planned expenditures such as bride wealth or education fees, etc.