'Farmers benefit immensely from Vety Dept'
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, July 05 2016: The activities carried out by the Veterinary Department is highly beneficial to the farmers of the State, said Dr N Rajendro Singh, Director of Veterinary Department, Government of Manipur while addressing media persons today at the first session of the second day of series of press conferences organised by DIPR to highlight the achievements of the various departments of Manipur.

Highlighting the various activities taken up by the Department of Veterinary & Animal Husbandry, the Director stated that the department has taken up various schemes for enhancement of livestock and poultry products such as milk, meat and eggs.

Besides this, the Department has the added responsibilities of looking after the health care of livestock and preventing diseases among them.

The department under the Intensive Cattle Development Programme, has been trying to improve the breed of cattle through artificial insemination using frozen semen technology with germ plasm from genetically superior and proven bulls.

So far the department has conducted artificial insemination to 170279 cows in the last ten years resulting in the birth of 76305 calves.

This has led to a milk production of 26,70,675 lakh litres per annum.

Despite this enhancement in milk production the state faces a huge gap between demand and supply of milk .

As against the requirement of 280 gm per person per day of milk the average consumption of milk in the state stands at 75-78 gm per person per day.

In the case of poultry also the scenario so far has not been very rosy but there is every likelihood of it changing for the better.

Against the demand of 40 crore eggs per annum, the State produces only 11 crore eggs per annum.

Various factors are responsible for this gap in demand and supply of eggs in the State.

One of the reasons being the high cost of chicken feeds making rearing of it not very attractive because of the low profitability.

The Veterinary Department also in the last few years has been restraint from effectively intervening here because of the loss of its various poultry farms because of various development projects taken up by the Government.

But the situation is improving with the introduction of 1000 Khaki Cambell breed at duck breeding farm in Lamphelpat.

The department has already started supplying farmers with ducklings.

Besides, the poultry farm started at the department's complex at Khumbong will start producing eggs in about three/four months time.

So far, 8130 BPL families have benefited under the backyard poultry farming during 2010-11 to 2014-15.Under the fodder development scheme, 299 farmers benefited during 2009 -10 at the cost of Rs 14.98 lakh to grow fodder in their own land.

Under various other schemes, 200 dairy farmers were provided pregnant Heifer during 2010-11; cattle sheds of 100 dairy farmers were renovated, besides providing them with veterinary aid kits.

The Department has also provided low in technology birds to 1080 beneficiaries along with financial assistance of Rs 108 lakh in the year 2011-12 .

In the following year 2012-13, 200 BPL families were provided with meat type goat at an outlay of Rs 20 lakh.

The department in pursuance of its goal of piggery development provided pig (2-3 months old) to 1321 beneficiaries at a financial outlay of Rs 41.78 lakh, he said.

Animal health care forms a very important part of the activities taken up by the Veterinary Department , emphasised the top officials which addressing the press conference.

Towards this end, the department took up the task of construction and strengthening of equipment and furniture in 12 Veterinary Hospitals and 25 Veterinary dispensaries in the year 2010-11.Again the same exercise was taken up in the year 2014-15 in the case of two Veterinary Hospitals and 25 Veterinary Dispensaries while in the year 2015-16, construction and strengthening work was carried out in nine Veterinary Hospitals and 17 Veterinary Dispensaries.

One of the most significant achievements of the department was the successful control and containment of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (Avian Flu) during July 2007 with its epicentre at Chingmeirong and April 2015 with epicentre at Lamphel.

The department has also been successful in controlling rabies outbreak throughout the State.

Besides, the Veterinary Department has been conducting various training and awareness programme for the farmers so that they are able to recognise the symptoms of different disease and take preventive and curative measures.

Veterinary Department is one of the most relevant departments of millions of people in this country who is connected with livestock farming .

With livestock sector constituting around 5 pc of the Indian economy and millions of lives dependent on it, it is but natural that it should be accorded the importance it deserves through adequate budgetary and other supports.

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