Hyderabad: Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) on Monday, May 11, entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with PV Narsimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University (PVNRTVU) to provide technical guidance and training to self-help group (SHG) women engaged in livestock-based livelihoods.
The initiative aims to reduce poverty through gainful self-employment, skilled jobs, and sustainable livestock livelihood improvements, SERP Chief Executive Officer Divya Devarajan stated.
The initiative will enhance financial access for poor households through bank linkages, revolving funds and subsidies, particularly for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minority communities.
Community Investment Funds (CIF) and loans would also be extended for activities such as lamb, sheep and goat kid nurseries, backyard poultry mother units, bird units and quail units.
The university will provide technical expertise, capacity-building and technology-transfer support to SERP beneficiaries, while also extending scientific guidance on housing, management and healthcare practices for livestock-based SHGs.
Registrar of PVNRTVU, A Sarat Chandra, said that one of the major challenges affecting dairy and small ruminant productivity was malnutrition and essential mineral deficiencies.
He said that the university has developed an area-specific mineral mixture to improve productivity and reproductive efficiency in cattle and buffaloes, and this expertise would be extended to farmers associated with SERP.
The university has also developed a dual-purpose backyard poultry variety named “Rajasri”, suitable for both meat and egg production, and chicks of this breed will be supplied through SERP for rearing and distribution among rural households to improve livelihoods and nutritional security.
The MoU, signed at BRKR Bhavan, is non-financial in nature, though financial support can be extended whenever necessary.
This post was last modified on May 11, 2026 10:11 pm