GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday inaugurated National Livestock and Poultry Show, 2019 organised by Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, Govt of Assam in presence of Union Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Giriraj Singh at the College of Veterinary Science playground at Khanapara.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that livestock and poultry sectors had lots of potential to generate employment and boost the rural economy. He also informed that Assam was the first state in the country to have adopted Policy for Private Investment Promotion in Livestock Sector which would be implemented from January next year to encourage youth of the state to engage in the sector with vigour.
Urging the farmers of the state to work dedicatedly to fulfil the requirement of 5 crore population of NE region, Sonowal said that through implementation of Act East Policy avenues had been opened for capturing the 80 crore population market of SE Asian and BBN countries and poultry and livestock sectors could play a major role in that.
Instead of importing egg, meat, milk and milk products etc., from outside the state letting out huge sums of money, efforts must be made by all stakeholders to make Assam an exporting state of those products by increasing production, he asserted.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi led central government’s schemes such as Skill India, Stand Up India, Digital India etc., Sonowal said that the state government had also launched the schemes like Chief Minister’s Samagra Gramya Unnyan Yojna, Mukhyamantrir Krishi Sa-Sajuli Yojna etc for achieving Prime Minister Modi’s vision of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
Union Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Giriraj Singh said that there was lot of scopes for developing NE region as an export hub of poultry, livestock meats, eggs etc., through adoption of latest technology. He also informed that his ministry would provide adequate funds to the state government for training up 4 thousand youths of the state on artificial insemination of animals. Those trained youths would later help the farmers and rearers in interior places to raise livestock and increase income, he said. He also stressed on the need to set up a Livestock Technology Park and assured of all help from the Central government in this regard.
Arunachal Pradesh Government’s Minister for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department Tage Taki also spoke at the programme.