Nagaland govt pursuing self-sufficient pig production
(Morung File Photo)
The local demand of pork is approximately 40.02 thousand tonnes while the Internal State Domestic Products of pork is approximately 19.22 thousand tonnes, says report
Our Correspondent
Kohima | February 10
Nagaland’s Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today said that the state government endeavours to enhance pork productivity in the state for self-sufficiency.
In his concluding remarks on discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address here today, Rio said that the local demand of pork is approximately 40.02 thousand tonnes while the Internal State Domestic Products of pork is approximately 19.22 thousand tonnes.
The total consumption of pork in the state is approximately 23.58 thousand tonnes while the outside supply of pork into the State is approximately 19.22 thousand tonnes.
In order to move towards self-sufficiency, he informed that the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (AH&VS) has initiated procurement of 24 Nos Pure Breed Hampshire Pig from the United Kingdom to upgrade breeding stocks in the State.
This is being initiated under the National Livestock Mission – Piggery Development in NER. Payment has been made to the Nodal State i.e., Government of Mizoram and the consignment is awaited.
He said that a boar station has been set up at Medziphema to provide Artificial Insemination of superior germplasm to improve the production of pigs through the assistance of the Government of India under the National Livestock Mission.
At present, training of boars for semen collection is in progress to enable Artificial Insemination in Pigs at the farmers’ level.
Village Piggery Development for pork production through the participation of 187 piggery farmers is currently in progress to promote pig breeding as backyard piggery under Centrally Sponsored Schemes, he said.
Stating that Nagas, by tradition, are accustomed to backyard pig rearing, Rio was hopeful that development of this aspect with proper scientific method will boost the local pig rearing sector to a significant extent.
“Pig Value Chain” in Nagaland, a concept similar to the Government of Meghalaya through credit linkages with National Cooperative Development Council (NCDC) is in progress under the initiative of the Government of India,” Rio said adding that accordingly, several rounds of meetings have been held between the Department of AH&VS, Cooperative and Finance Departments and the NCDC to study the viability and sustainability of the project under commercial scale.
He said that the state reached an important milestone with the registration of the Indigenous Pig (Tenyi-Vo) as a “Breed” bearing breed code “No. 09004” by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Research (NBAGR), Karnal. Following this, the Government of India has agreed to establish an Indigenous Pig Farm at Suthazou, Phek District for conserving and propagating the Indigenous germplasm in their breeding tract.
He said that the AH&VS department has both Services and Production Sector.
The department is participating in all the livestock and poultry disease control programmes in consonance with the rest of the states by engaging its manpower and resources while steps are being undertaken to promote, develop and enhance meat particularly pork so as to create an eco-system of self-sufficiency in the near future.
