Port Blair, June 13: An Interface meet on ‘Island Livestock Development’ was organized on 12th June,2012 at CARI, Port Blair. Dr.D.R. Singh, Director & Chairman of the interface meet inaugurated the event in the presence of Dr. P. Balakrishnan, Director, AH&VS, Dr. P. Vijayachari, Director, RMRC (ICMR), Dr. C. Ragunathan, ZSI, Representative from Department of Forest, Joint Director and SVOs of AH&VS, Head, Scientists and SMS of KVK-CARI.
During the meet, presentations were made by CARI and developmental department over the current status of livestock biodiversity and their farming system, technologies and package of practices for livestock improvement, veterinary health care and diseases of zoonotic importance.
Dr. P. Blakrishnan, Director, AH&VS explained about the activities of department and future programmes of establishing of composite livestock farm at each major islands/districts, promotion of backyard poultry and he stressed that there is a huge demand for duck among the island farmers. Diseases of zoonotic importance should be given top priority to reduce the incidence and future outbreak according to Dr. P. Vijayachari, Director, RMRC, ICMR and he also pointed out that a sub group may be formed between CARI, AH&VS and RMRC to strengthen the monitoring system and control of existing and emerging livestock diseases.
Infertility in cattle and buffalo accounts for poor reproductive performance and major economic losses in small holder dairy farming and effective therapeutic protocols for infertility management and technologies for enhancing reproductive efficiency should be adopted at field level to boost the islands milk production said Dr. S. Jeyakumar, Convenor of the programme. Dr. A. Kundu, Organizing Secretary suggested that there is a need for establishing mini or model post harvest processing and value addition facility especially for milk (milk pasteurization, packaging and cold storage facility) at major islands/tehsils by the department of AH&VS to reduce the post harvest loss.
In his concluding remarks the Director, CARI addressed the issues of future areas of research and collaboration with line departments viz. conservation of the indigenous germplasm such as Nicobari fowl, Nicobari pig, Teressa goat and Barren island goat by establishing location specific conservation unit and utilization of available land under plantation area for fodder cultivation to reduce fodder shortage.
He also stressed the importance of promoting family poultry production system in poverty alleviation and promotion of Azolla on large scale as a feed supplement for backyard poultry and Nicobari pigs in collaboration with Animal Husbandry department under RKVY scheme or Tribal development sub plan. The Interface meet was concluded with vote of thanks proposed by Dr. Jai Sunder.
