Arunachal Pradesh: Union Minister assures to resolve issues to build up animal husbandry sector

Our correspondent

Itanagar: Union Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy, Dr. Rajeev Ranjan Singh, has assured Arunachal Pradesh of resolving ‘issues’ related to the animal husbandry sector in the frontier state.

In response to various issues raised by Arunachal Pradesh Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Gabriel D Wangsu at the Monsoon Meet held at Bhubaneswar, in Odisha, on Friday, Singh reiterated his earlier promise to visit Arunachal soon and discuss all the concerns and resolve the issues for the development of animal resources in the state.

Wangsu, in his presentation at the Monsoon Meet, urged the Centre to facilitate and assist in the establishment of at least one veterinary college in Arunachal Pradesh and also include the Mithun and Yak schemes in the Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) of the National Livestock Mission (NLM), an official communique informed on Saturday.

He also sought release of funds under Establishment and Strengthening Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries-Mobile Veterinary Unit (ESVHD-MVU) for procurement of 100 more MVUs and funds for recurring expenditure of the same.

Arunachal Pradesh needs more manpower for the ensuing 21st Livestock Census, and hence, the need for additional 100 numbers of enumerators and 50 numbers of supervisors, Wangsu observed while seeking intervention of the Centre to facilitate immediate rollout of the high yielding genetically modified fodder grass (Tri Specific Hybrid) developed by the Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi.

This new species of grass has high potential of revolutionizing fodder development, and every Indian farmer would be immensely benefitted, and hence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi may like to roll out this new species, which would be a great game changer in the animal husbandry sector, Wangsu pointed out at the session, which saw the participation of Animal Husbandry Ministers from 15 other states.

The Minister also requested for dovetailing of the animal husbandry sector with some of the CSS programmes like Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Enterprise, Prime Minister Employment Guarantee Programme etc.

Pointing out that the piggery sector in the Northeastern states has suffered severely due to the spread of African Swine Flu, Wangsu sought a separate scheme for piggery development vis-à-vis strengthening of state piggery farms and allowing NE states to import HGM (high genetic merit) pigs to upgrade existing resources.

Moreover, he sought schemes for strengthening small ruminant state-run farms and for strengthening existing veterinary institutions.

The Union Minister, while winding up the session, appealed to state governments to focus on milk productivity with the help of cooperative society, timely diagnosis of diseases, and use of IVF and semen technology.

Assuring to assist the states through various centrally sponsored schemes, the Union Minister urged the state governments to implement all the schemes to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat, the communiqué added.

Also read: Tripura Boosts Animal Husbandry with Financial Aid to Self-Employed Breeders (sentinelassam.com)

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