Herbal women eye poultry medicine manufacturing units
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 09 2013: Medicine women -Yumnam Ibetombi Devi and Oinam Ibetombi Devi of Manipur's Bishenpur district, who bagged the first National award for developing herbal medication to cure coccidiosis in poultry recently, are now mulling to set up small scale medicine manufacturing units.

Symptoms of coccidiosis include passing blood in their excreta, drop in egg production, droopy, hunched, withdrawn chickens with ruffled feathers, not eating or drinking.

The disease is caused by a parasite (coccidia) found in contaminated ground and damp bedding and it can spread through contaminated boots, clothing, feedsacks, insects nd rodents .

The parasite can also be found in water that is not kept clean and free of chicken droppings.

Interestingly one of the compositions of the medicine, the duo made, is fermented fish locally known as ngari, which is also a favorite item in preparing several Manipuri indigenous dishes.

The two being awarded by the President

Scientists of the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) tested the medicine in the laboratory and subsequently recommended the same as fit for curing the common poultry ailment, the two said.

President Pranab Mukherjee had on March 7 handed the awards to the duo separately in the seventh "National Grassroots Technological Innovations and Traditional Knowledge Awards" in New Delhi.

"Since our medicine has been accepted by the NIF, which is under the Centre's Department of Science and Technology, we are looking forward to set up a small scale medicine manufacturing unit at our area," said Yumnam Ibetombi, a resident of Heinoubok village.

The medicine can be marketed across the State and beyond one the unit is set up, she said adding that currently she is planting the medicine herb in bulk.

"Some years back I applied my medicine to the ailing chicken reared by our family and within a few days the poultry birds recovered fully," said Ibetombi (65), who is also a traditional healer.

The other awardee, Oinam Ibetombi Devi (53) of Oinam bazar , said that she composed the herbal medicine after her grandfather taught the medical values of certain herbs for curing poultry diseases.

" It was about 20 years back our family chicken suffered from coccidiosis and some of them died one after another.

I was so dejected to see the dying scene and suddenly I recalled the words of my grandfather and began composing the herbs and applied them to the ailing chicken," she said.

"After applying my medicine for a week daily, all the ailing chicken recovered and became healthy," she said adding that later she gave her medicine to her local poultry farmers.

"We are thankful to NIF for recognizing our efforts and we will continue to manufacture the medicine in bulk for which I'm looking forward to develop a manufacturing unit," she added.