Evaluation of Alternate Animal Identification Techniques and Livestock Insurance Products in Bengaluru Rural District of Karnataka

Objectives: The present study evaluates different techniques used for identification of insured animals, assesses the farmers’ need and their willingness to buy insurance for different livestock insurance products. Methodology/Statistical Analysis: The data required for the study was collected by direct personal interview method based on a well-structured schedule from 120 sample households through multistage sampling technique in Bengaluru rural district of Karnataka. Scale ranging from very poor to excellent was used to assess the identification techniques based on considered parameters for the study. Conjoint analysis was used to calculate the estimated utilities for different livestock insurance products. Findings: It was found that plastic tag was having advantages in case of cost, labour requirement, application ease and animal health compared to plastic tag plus branding while plastic tag plus branding was advantageous in case of readability and durability compared to plastic tag alone. The estimated utility for mastitis was found highest (0.765) at one teat blindness and for metritis, estimated utility was highest (1.927) up to four number of services. The most important factors determining the farmers’ willingness to buy insurance were governed by the depreciation charge followed by level of teat blindness in case of mastitis and number of services in case of metritis disease. Application/Improvements: Insurance companies should maintain regular, reliable and complete database related with animal identification techniques in order to assess the efficiency of different animal identification techniques promptly. Insurance companies and Karnataka state Department of Animal Husbandry can include alternate insurance products viz., mastitis, metritis, transit insurance and theft with affordable premium charges which do not exist in the present livestock insurance