By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 16: The Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) has urged the state government to take immediate steps to address the growing challenges faced by pig and poultry farmers across Meghalaya.
In a memorandum submitted to Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Sanbor Shullai on Friday, FKJGP president Dundee Cliff Khongsit highlighted several issues affecting local livestock farmers and called for urgent policy intervention to safeguard their livelihoods.
The organisation stated that through its socio-economic reform movement, it had observed that local farmers were struggling due to multiple challenges, including market competition, the spread of diseases, lack of government follow-up and the absence of organised markets.
On market competition, the FKJGP said locally reared pigs and poultry were unable to fetch profitable prices because of the unrestricted inflow of cheaper livestock from outside the state.
The organisation demanded that the government formulate a policy to regulate and monitor the entry of pigs and poultry from other parts of the country to protect local producers.
The memorandum also raised concerns over the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) and poultry diseases in the state.
According to the FKJGP, the influx of animals from outside Meghalaya without proper quarantine and isolation measures had contributed to disease outbreaks, resulting in heavy losses for local farmers.
The organisation stated that many farmers had suffered financially, with several reportedly unable to repay loans after losing livestock to disease outbreaks.
The FKJGP further alleged that although the Veterinary department conducts various training programmes for farmers, there was little follow-up support after the training sessions.
It claimed that farmers often received inadequate assistance during medical emergencies, including a lack of access to medicines and veterinary support.
The organisation also expressed concern over the absence of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism and organised meat markets in the state. It pointed out that the Modern Multi-Species Abattoir at Mawlai Mawiong remained the only active modern slaughter facility for pigs in Meghalaya.
The FKJGP urged the minister and the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department to treat the concerns of livestock farmers as a serious matter and take prompt action to strengthen the sector and improve the livelihoods of farmers across the state.
