Farmers’ Willingness to Pay to Women Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs): A Study of the Pashusakhi Model in Bahraich District of Uttar Pradesh, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/ijvsbt.22.1.21Keywords:
Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs), Doorstep Services, Pashusakhi, Willingness to PayAbstract
Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) play a crucial role in delivering basic animal healthcare services in rural areas across many countries particularly in Asia & Africa. The Pashusakhi model in India equipped women from local communities to provide preventive veterinary services, including vaccination and deworming. Understanding livestock farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for these services is essential for assessing the economic sustainability and long-term viability of the Pashusakhis. This study aimed to analyse the WTP of livestock farmers for Pashusakhis’ services and identify socio-economic and perception-based factors influencing WTP in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 100 livestock farmers from 10 villages in Chitaura block were randomly selected. WTP was assessed using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) under two service delivery scenarios: common village centre and doorstep services. Data were analysed using frequency, mean, percentage, and multiple regression to identify determinants of maximum WTP for doorstep services. Initial willingness to pay was reported by 74 % of respondents for village centre services and 91 % for doorstep services. Mean maximum WTP was ₹ 56.28 for village centre services and ₹ 93.79 for doorstep services. Regression analysis indicated that formal education, annual household income, and income from livestock had a significant positive influence on maximum WTP. Livestock farmers demonstrated clear willingness to pay for preventive healthcare services for animals, with higher value attributed to doorstep delivery due to convenience, time saving, and reduced animal stress
Downloads
References
Amsalu, K., Menda, S., & Lemma, A. (2023). Community willingness to pay (WTP) for vaccination services for livestock diseases in Ethiopia. Consultancy report prepared under the EVA-HEARD Project. Ethiopian Veterinary Association, Bishoftu, Ethiopia, in collaboration with FAO and UNDP.
DAHD – Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying. (2024, February). Promotion A-HELP: Lakhpati Didi. Government of India.
Kumar, S., Mirajkar, P. P., Singh, Y. P., & Singh, R. (2011). Analysis of willingness to pay for veterinary services of the livestock owners of Sangli district of Maharashtra. Agricultural Economics Research Review, 24(1), 149–154.
National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). (2025). Pashu Sakhi module. Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.
Van Aken, A. (2023). Assessing farmer willingness to participate in a subsidized veterinary herd health management program. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 220, 106031.
Vikaspedia. (2023, July 2). PashuSakhi: An alternative livestock extension approach.
WOAH – World Organisation for Animal Health. (2024, September 10). Competency and curriculum guidelines for community animal health workers (Publication No. 071024).
Yadav, P., Chandel, B. S., Agarwal, P., Sirohi, S., & Chand, P. (2021). Farmer’s willingness-to-pay for animal health and livestock insurance services in milking state of India: Empirical findings from rural areas of Gujarat. Bhartiya Krishi Anusandhan Patrika, 36(3), 236–241.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Indian Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Biotechnology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
