New Delhi: Meghalaya, which consumes a large quantity of pork but faces supply deficit, will get some relief with the Hill state signing an agreement with a Canadian State Alberta here on Sunday.
“The MoU also opens up possibilities of collaboration in the allied areas of animal genetics, pulses, food processing, food safety, water conservation and grain handling,” Chief Dr Mukul Sangma said.
The MoU was signed by Dr Sangma and Ms. Alison Redford, Premier of Alberta, in the presence of Mrs Deborah Marak, Minister, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary.
The MoU is an outcome of discussions held over the last two years between Meghalaya and the Alberta government to encourage staff level consultation and take advantage of opportunities
in the livestock sector with particular focus on piggery value chains.
The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the signing of this MoU would pave the way for a significant improvement in the mother stock, breeding practices and technology adoption in the State and in scaling up opportunities for livelihoods for local youth in pork and meat processing.
Meghalaya faces deficit of 8,932 tonnes in beef production and 1,395 tonnes in pork production annually.
The state had tried to meet the demand and reduce the deficit by trying to setting up more cattle farms and piggeries besides importing from Canada.
The signing of the agreement will pave the way for importing new breed of pigs from Canada. The initiative would lead enhanced production of pork besides ensuring better quality, and the Canada-based firm has better management skills when it comes to production of pork.
It may be mentioned that the Centre has revoked the ban on import of pigs.
Earlier, Dr Sangma also pointed out that the quality of pork available remains to be ascertained as no one knows its source. “It is important to ascertain the source of the meat from where it comes as many diseases are linked to consumption of pork,” the Chief Minister said.