Activities

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Veterinary Institutions

A net work of Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries manned by qualified Veterinarian have been established in the State. These hospitals and dispensaries, besides undertaking treatment of ailing animals and birds, are taking preventive measures through immunisation for controlling specific diseases. To extend better health care service, Dispensaries and Veterinary Aid Centres have been established at convenient locations and are manned by suitable technical staff. Besides, there are Mobile Veterinary Dispensaries and Vigilance Units manned by the qualified Veterinarians to extend the facilities of animal health care etc. More new dispensaries and hospitals are being established to serve the people better. Action has also been taken to upgrade all the Aid Centres to Dispensaries.

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Cattle Development

For all round development of Cattle wealth in the different parts of the State, various development programmes such as Cattle Breeding Farms for producing inputs for distribution. Intensive Cattle Development Projects for cross breeding and upgradation programme have been taken up by the department. For peoples participation in production, incentives in the form of Grant in Aid and Subsidies are provided so that production status is enhanced to meet the state demands

Cattle Breeding Farms

Four Cattle breeding farms - e.g. Indo-Danish Project, Upper Shillong, (East Khasi Hills); Regional Cross Bred Cattle Breeding Farm, Kyrdemkulai (Ri Bhoi District); Cattle Farm, Khliehtyrshi, (Jaintia Hills District) and Livestock Farm, Rongkhon (West Garo Hills) have been established to produce improved breeding stock for development of cattle in the State to boost up production of milk, Apart from this, these farms supply wholesome milk to the neighbouring urban areas and serve as the visual demonstration units in scientific method of rearing, feeding and management of cattle which includes fodder cultivation. One Buffalo Farm has also been established at Songsak (East Garo Hills) to initiate Buffalo Breeding Programme.

Intensive Cattle Development Project

The Intensive Cattle Development Project, one at Upper Shillong and the other at Tura, have been established in the State to take up an integrated approach in development of cattle breeding, fodder development etc. The objective of the project is to upgrade the local cows through introduction of better germplasm of the exotic Fresian and Jersey breeds and to induct the local tribal breeders to adopt modern scientific techniques in Animal Husbandry. The project also help to educate and encourage the farmers about requirement of feed and fodder. Subsidy for growing of fodder is also provided by the project. The activities of the project is discharged through a network of Stockman Centres established in different parts of the State. At present, Frozen Semen Technology is being used for artificial insemination service which are provided at the farmers door step. Two Liquid Nitrogen Plant has been installed in the state for the purpose.

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Poultry Development

Poultry keeping is very common as a subsidiary occupation of the large section of the population both in the rural and urban areas. The general mass who cannot indulge in other Lucrative business, requiring very high capital, usually prefer this industry as the capital investment is very low and return anticipated within a short period of time. But in general poultry rearing is continuing in the traditional way as practiced earlier except in a very few cases, where improved types of birds are maintained in scientific manner. The open or free range system is the common practice of rearing poultry and ducks all over the State, whether in the rural or in the urban areas. Proper housing, management, feeding and breeding for local poultry are not cared for in general. The birds which include chicks, adults and growers are let loose in search of feed and water from the field. Ducks rear in the ponds and other water logged areas. So the local poultry of the State, in general, has very low productivity yielding on an average a maximum of 105 eggs per layer in comparison to the improved birds yielding 200-230 eggs per layer or even more. The Poultry Development Programme of the State has, therefore, been directed towards increasing productivity of the poultry of the State by introducing improved breeds, Efforts are also underway to put the Poultry Industry on a commercial footing by providing easy marketing facilities to poultry farmers. The Department has set up 10 Poultry Farms. One of these farms is the Regional Poultry Breeding Farm, Kyrdemkulai and the rest are the District Poultry Farms. The objective of these farms is to serve the purpose of experimentation, demonstration and production of eggs beside the main purpose for rearing chicks for distribution amongst the poultry rearers. One Broiler farm has been set up at Kyrdemkulai to produce one lakh broiler chicks annually for distribution to the District Poultry Farms and private farmers to meet the requirement of broiler meat in the State. Considering the requirement of poultry meat and eggs as well as the high cost of poultry feed ingredients the department have introduced low input breed of birds which can thrive well under the Meghalaya village conditions with a good return. This breed of bird is very much resistant to diseases and hence very much preferred by the villagers as economic loss is negligible. At present Poultry Farm Umsning and Rongkhon are producing low input breed of chicks and supplying to the farmers. Another such Farm is being established at Jowai.

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Piggery Development

Pig rearing is an integral part of rural life in Meghalaya. The pig is an amazing creature for the service of mankind. Its high adaptability to a wide range of environments, resistance to diseases, high reproductive efficiency and adjustable feeding habits makes the pig the ideal meat animal of choice for the North Eastern States like Meghalaya. It is this pig which can meet the challenge of Protein Hunger of the State. Given the adequate environment including housing, feeding, management and disease control, rearing of pigs throughout the State would be ideal as is already noticed in the State Pig Farms particularly the one at Kyrdemkulai. Departmental efforts in future plans would be directed to extend supply of quality pigs along with infra-structural support for input supplies, services, disease control and marketing in all the villages covering all the blocks in the State in a phased manner. In fact, Piggery development in Meghalaya demands a massive effort on PRIORITY basis. It is here the State can build an all-India reputation which no other livestock in the State can ever match. At present the department have introduced Hampshire, Saddle Back and other Cross Breed Pigs for producing inputs for supplying to the farmers for upgradation of local indigenous stock so that production level is enhanced.

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Sheep, Goat and Rabbit Development

Though the climatic situation is not very much conducive for sheep rearing, goats constitute a member of the rural family and more than 1.09 Lakhs Sheep and Goats are slaughtered annually producing about 1092 MT of meat per year. Khasi Hill Goat is a recognised breed of goats, which is on the verge of extinction. Steps are, therefore being taken to conserve and increase its population through selective breeding in State Farms. Goat keeping is also a commercially viable proposition and its development to the desired level is called for, Rabbit production has a good potentiality in the State. Initial trial has been made by the State Department as an introduction to the people in the State which shows promise for further initiative in this direction.

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Feed and Fodder Development

Application of new technology supported by good management and health care, can produce a potential high yielding animal but without sustained supply of required level of nutritious feed such stock will not prove its worth. It is, therefore, essential that attempt should be made for ensured supply of feed. Feed is generally divided into (a) Concentrates, and, (b) Roughages. In concentrates, the D.C.P : T.D.N., ratio is narrow but well balanced and its requirement is much less as compared to roughages and it bridges the gap between the demand and availability of nutrition from roughages. Roughages are bulky but cheap and normally available locally as by-products of agriculture specially cereal crops. Though remarkable advancement has been achieved in agricultural production, little attempt has been made towards development of animal feed whereas more and more land has been brought under plough ignoring the land capability and encroaching upon forest and grass cover. The shrinkage of forest and grass cover has been reflected in shortage of fuel wood and fodder. Realising such a situation all over the country afforestation programmes have been taken up with fodder development as a joint effort of the Forest and Animal Husbandry Departments. Setting up of Agro-Forest/Silviculture/Social Forestry always incorporate grassland and fodder farming as components. Paucity of feed ingredients are one of the hurdle faced by the Livestock and Poultry rearers in the state. Most of the ingredients are to be imported from other states and therefore the cost of mixed feed is very high and not affordable to the poor farmers of the state. Effort are on to overcome such problem so that Animal Husbandry activities get a boost and thereby improves the rural economy.

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Dairy Activities

Under Dairy Development, the main objective of the schemes are for overall development of Dairy Sector like supply of wholesome milk to consumers. Generally, milk is procured from different Dairy Co-operative Societies and farmers where it is being brought to the different Dairy Plants for pasturing the same before distribution to the consumers. The different schemes implemented under this sector are :-

Location of Dairy Plants

At present, there are are three Dairy plants located at Mawiong (Shillong) Jowai and Tura with a capacity 10,000 Litres for Mawiong and 2,000 Litres capacity each for Jowai and Tura. Three Chilling centres located at Resubelpara, Nongstoin and Latyrke have also been established within the State. One Creamery and Ghee making Centre has also been established at Ganol.

At present, 36 Dairy Co-operative Societies have been organised and functioning within the East Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi District. It is also proposed to organise 30 Dairy Co-operative Societies in Jaintia Hills District and 31 Dairy Co-operative Societies in Garo Hills Districts. The process of organising new Dairy Co-operative Societies are in progress. It is presumed that there will be substantial improvement in Dairy activities with in the State which will cater the need for milk and milk products to the consumers of the State.

One I.D.D.P. project is at present functioning covering the two Districts of East Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi. Two such I.D.D.P. projects are under implementation at Jowai and Tura. The capacity of the dairy plant at the above places will also be enhanced from 2000 Litres to 8000 Litres which will be made fully functioned soon.

Considering the vast potentiality of Dairy Development activities within the State, efforts are on to improve the marketing and processing facility of milk and milk products to boost up the rural economy.

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