Participants of the‘Kisan Gosthi’ held at the College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Jalukie on March 27.
Jalukie, March 27 (MExN): Dr I Shakuntala, Dean of the College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry (CVS&AH), Jalukie, today urged farmers to rear livestock and poultry using scientific methods to meet the growing demand for animal products.
Adopting modern farming techniques would not only enhance production but also increase farmers' income and improve their livelihoods, she added, providing an overview of the meat, milk, and egg production scenario in Nagaland during a ‘Kisan Gosthi’ held at the college on March 27.
The CVS&AH, a constituent college of Central Agricultural University, Imphal, organised the event under the theme "Leveraging Smart Farming Practices for Sustainable Livestock Production of Tribal Farmers." The event was funded by ICAR-NRC on Equines, Hisar, Haryana, under TSP (Tribal Sub Plan).
Gracing the occasion, Colonel Mohit Kumar Bansal of the 9th Assam Rifles, Jalukie, also emphasised the need for more such initiatives, especially in the remote parts of Peren District, and expressed his willingness to conduct similar events in collaboration with the college.
He encouraged farmers to adopt scientific livestock and poultry farming while integrating their traditional knowledge and wisdom.
Meanwhile, Prof SK Borthakur highlighted that the purpose of such Kisan Gosthi (farmers' meetings) is to provide a platform for sharing technical knowledge and government schemes beneficial to farmers.
The event featured technical lectures on "Scientific Pig and Poultry Farming" by Dr Imtiwati and "Importance of Artificial Insemination in Pigs" by Dr Tukheswar Chutia, both Assistant Professors at CVS&AH.
During the interactive session, Dr Namsui Thou, Chief Veterinary Officer, Peren, encouraged farmers to avail themselves of the services of the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services (AH&VS) and actively participate in livestock vaccination programmes in their respective villages.
On concerns raised by farmers about fish production, the Sub-Divisional Fishery Officer, Peren, Dr C Dory Yanthan explained the technical aspects of fish farming and highlighted government initiatives aimed at enhancing fish production in Nagaland.
The 51 farmers in attendance were also provided with 15-day-old ducklings along with feed to encourage duck farming as an additional source of livelihood.
Through input distribution, a total of 125 livestock farmers benefited from the Kisan Gosthi, informed a press release from CVS&AH. Officials from various line departments, including the Departments of AH&VS, Fisheries, Horticulture, and KVK Peren also attended the event, it added.
