SHILLONG: Meghalaya Cabinet has given its approval to the implementation of the Meghalaya State Livestock Mission under which Government would spend more than 1000 crores for increasing livestock farming.
Speaking to media persons after the Cabinet meeting here on Thursday, chief minister Mukul Sangma said that the Cabinet has also approved the formation of Meghalaya state livestock society, which would be named as Meghalaya Piggery and Livestock Development Society and the particular society would implement the mission.
Sangma pointed out that the Mission has been worked out based on the experience of the Government and demand from the stakeholders, this Mission would be implemented within a period of 5 years.
“Livestock Mission has been worked out since 70 percent of our population is doing farming activities,” he said.
Sangma also said that the project would mainly focus on piggery since there is a demand for piggery from the stakeholders and there is even a provision of backyard farming under the Mission.
On the other hand, Minister in charge Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, HDR Lyngdoh informed that the Mission would benefit 1.95 lakh families in the state, adding that Government this year would cover around 50,000 families under the project.
In addition, the outlay for the project has been earmarked at Rs 217 crores for this year and the total outlay for the five years is Rs 1088.97 crores.
The project would have two categories, and one of them is to take care of the households which are considered as bottom as per social economic strata and other one would be for willing and potential partners who after getting grants from the Government would also have the facility of credit linkage. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma also expressed concern over the huge gap in demand and supply of meat in the state even though he added that cattle rearing are one of the parts of the programme.
He also stressed on the need for the state to become a surplus state as far as cattle rearing is concerned.
