Turning Training into Opportunity
Manthrala Venkat Reddy, from Nalgonda District, Telangana, is one of the rural entrepreneurs who turned learning into a successful livelihood opportunity.
As part of its livelihood promotion initiatives, Cornell Sathguru Foundation for Development (CSFD) conducted the 15th batch of a residential training programme on sheep and goat rearing for rural youth and farmers across Telangana. The training was delivered with technical guidance from PJTSAU and PVNRTV University, with financial support from Madison Incentives.
Building Knowledge Through Practical Learning
Venkat Reddy was one of the active participants in the programme and gained in-depth knowledge of scientific sheep rearing, vaccination, fodder management, shed management, breeding, marketing and government schemes.
The programme also provided hands-on experience through laboratory sessions, exposure visits to advanced sheep farms, and interactions with successful livestock entrepreneurs, helping him gain practical insights into managing a commercial livestock enterprise.
From Training to a ₹1 Crore Enterprise
Following the training, CSFD continued to support Venkat Reddy by assisting him in applying for the National Livestock Mission (NLM) scheme and facilitating access to financial assistance.
With NLM support, he established a ₹1 crore sheep-rearing enterprise, financed through: ₹50 lakh – NLM Subsidy, ₹40 lakh – Bank Loan, ₹10 lakh – Own Contribution
He started with 500 sheep – 475 females and 25 males. The flock is now expanding with the birth of lambs, creating a strong foundation for future income and enterprise growth.
Creating Value Through Direct Marketing
Venkat Reddy has taken his enterprise a step further by operating a meat shop at his farm, enabling him to sell meat directly to customers. This provides an additional source of income while creating greater value through direct marketing and value addition.
Road Ahead: Expanding Markets and Value Addition
Apart from catering to nearby villages, Venkat Reddy plans to expand his market to Hyderabad and other nearby cities.
Looking ahead, he is also eager to participate in CSFD’s training on “Meat Processing and Value Addition” to enhance the value of his meat products and explore opportunities to market them in other states.
🌱 Investing in Fodder, Nutrition and Flock Health
To meet the nutritional needs of his expanding flock, Venkat Reddy has invested in developing a dedicated 6-acre fodder system on his farm, reducing dependence on externally purchased green fodder and strengthening the long-term sustainability of his enterprise. He is cultivating a combination of Hedge Lucerne, Smart Napier and CoFS-29, providing a regular and diversified supply of green fodder throughout the year. The fodder not only ensures a regular and diversified supply for his own flock but also creates an additional income opportunity, as he sells surplus fodder to other local farmers.
The availability of fodder within the farm enables growth, breeding performance and overall health of the flock. Along with farm-grown fodder, he supplements the sheep’s diet with commercially purchased mineral mixture to support their nutritional requirements.
This integrated approach to fodder production, nutrition and flock management is helping Venkat Reddy build a more self-reliant, sustainable livestock enterprise and reduce feeding costs.
By producing his own fodder, Venkat Reddy is reducing feed costs and strengthening the sustainability of his ₹1 crore livestock enterprise, demonstrating the value of scientific and self-reliant livestock management.
Generating Employment and Strengthening Rural Livelihoods: The enterprise is also creating employment opportunity for local people, who are engaged in the day-to-day management of the sheep-rearing unit, including feeding, flock care and other farm operations.
🌱 Skills to Enterprise: A Journey with CSFD
From learning scientific livestock practices to accessing government support and establishing his own enterprise, Venkat Reddy’s journey shows how the right training and timely handholding can help rural farmers move towards successful entrepreneurship.
CSFD’s role did not end with the training – it continued by connecting knowledge with opportunity and helping Venkat Reddy take the next step towards building a sustainable livelihood.
