From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI: The North East Progressive Pig Farmers’ Association (NEPPFA) has sought greater government intervention towards creation of a favourable eco-system for commercial pig rearing.
The association has also submitted a memorandum in this regard to the government demanding access to veterinary care and vaccines, prevention of entry of African Swine Fever-infected pigs/products to states bordering Myanmar and China, increased subsidy under National Livestock Mission (NLM) besides easy access to loans and insurance.
Addressing the media here on Saturday, NEPPFA president Manoj Kumar Basumatary underlined the need for government support to farmer-entrepreneurs to take up piggery on a commercial basis.
The North East is the largest market for pork in India and the meat is worth over a billion US dollars.
According to the 19th Livestock Census conducted in 2012, Assam had the highest number of pigs and accounted for 75 per cent of meat-produced country.
“But the demand for pork in North East exceeds supply. According to data available with Northeastern Council, the region consumes 3-lakh metric tonnes of pork every year with 1.7-lakh metric tonnes exported to meet the local demand. Most of this meat that comes from outside the region is without any food safety monitoring in the absence of a thriving piggery sector here,” Basumatary said.
The association further raised concern at the low average weight of pigs compared to states like Uttar Pradesh in the region, owing to lack of modern rearing techniques.
The pork market of the North East is worth over a billion UD dollars.
Formed in April 2018, NEPPFA is an umbrella organisation of more than 200 commercial pig farmers working with the vision of producing quality pork to meet global standards and establishing North East as a piggery hub.
“In regard to the African Swine Fever (ASF), which is at our doorstep (having entered China, Cambodia and Vietnam), the government needs to take adequate measures before it takes epidemic form. Of late, we have taken up the matter with the veterinary department which, in turn, has raised awareness across districts through video conferencing, etc,” Basumatary said.
When asked about the association’s intervention in Meghalaya, where there are about 12 farmers under its ambit, he said that NEPPFA would try to woo more farmers/entrepreneurs in the state to take up piggery on a commercial basis.