SHILLONG: The Rs 220-crore Meghalaya Piggery Mission is likely to get the Centre’s approval within a month with the Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry being in favour of it.
Talking to media persons here on Saturday, Union Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Sanjeev Kumar Baliyan said that he is very “impressed” with the Mission and once implemented it will not only benefit the state but the country as a whole.
Earlier, he held an interactive session with the piggery and dairy farmers and with the officials of the AH & Veterinary Department at the Directorate of AH & Veterinary, Lumjengjri, Shillong.
Addressing the gathering, Baliyan said that the only means to double farmers income is through animal husbandry, dairy and poultry farming. While lamenting the low rate—five per cent — of artificial insemination (AI) in cattle in the state, Baliyan said that the main focus should be on increasing it which will go a long way in achieving a sustainable livelihood.
With regard to the training of farmers as put forth by the farmers during the interactive session, Baliyan urged the department to nominate and send the names of the farmers to the ministry so as to facilitate their training at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal and Central Avian Research Institute, Bareilly.
Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya, AH & Veterinary Department, C Manjunatha, Director, AH & Veterinary Department, C Shylla and Director, Dairy Development, J A Warbah were also present at the interaction programme.
During the day, the minister visited the Pig and Poultry Farm and Intensive Cattle Development Programme (ICDP) at Upper Shillong and the Meghalaya Milk Processing Centre at Mawiong.
While acknowledging the huge potential for dairy and animal husbandry in the state, the minister said that the farmers can earn a good income if they make use of the potential. The minister, while adding that there is a huge market for the products in the state, said
that a lot is still to be done to cater to this demand.
“Still a huge percentage of the requirement of piggery and poultry are being imported from other states, we have to work for making Meghalaya self-sufficient,” he said.
The minister also appreciated the efforts of the state government in promoting milk farmers and said that the amount given to them by the government is the highest in the country, i.e Rs 42/litre. He, however, expressed concern over the high feed cost that the farmers have to bear in the state and assured them that he will request ICAR to find out solutions to produce cheaper feed.
The minister patiently heard all the concerns of the doctors and farmers and assured that he will extend all possible assistance from the central government to address their concerns. The farmers and doctors pointed out the lack of manpower, medicine and the need for strengthening the laboratories.
Baliyan said that his ministry is always working towards the betterment of the services of the doctors and providing facilities for the farmers which is evident from the fact that the first Cabinet, after the present government came into power, approved an amount of Rs 13,500 crore for FMD and Brucellosis. The minister asserted that the Prime Minister’s vision to double farmers’ income by 2022 can be achieved through animal husbandry and fisheries.