Morung Express News
Kohima | April 8
Nagaland still continues to be the highest importers of pigs in the country and northeastern region both for meat and breeding purposes.
“Absence of religious taboo in consuming pork coupled with the traditional rearing of pigs as backyard farming since time immemorial has made piggery very popular among the rural people,” the state’s department of veterinary and animal husbandry said in its Annual Administrative Report.
The report added that despite its popularity deficient in pork in the state was posing serious challenges to the department.
Rearing of pig and consumption of pork among the tribal people is very common and is a part of the tradition piggery production in the state has taken a new leaf by the introduction of exotic/ crossbreeds pigs by the department.
The productive and reproductive traits of these animals have convinced the piggery farmers to take up piggery as a source of income generation.
In fact the omnivorous habit of pigs on converting kitchen waste into animal proteins and fats along with short gestation period has earned the nicked mortgage lifter among the pig rearing people.
Despite its popularity among the tribal people availability of quality seed stock at an affordable price is major obstacle in rearing crossbreed pigs. In order to meet the demand distribution of piglets to various areas constituencies is being continued, the report said.
Altogether, ten state piggery farms are located at Medziphema, Jalukie, Merangkong, Akuluto, Phek, Tizit, Tuensang, Sathazu, Lerie and Wokha.
CATTLE AND BUFFALO DEVELOPMENT: Rearing of Dairy for milk purpose is a new culture for the Nagas, however the prospect of dairying in the state is changing specially in urban and semi urban area with the people relishing on milk and milk products and for this reason rapid development of cattle and buffalo was taken up by the department so as to enhance the productive capacity of the local cattle which normally is a poor milker.
The Government of India has also approved to implement a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on National Project on Cattle Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB) which is an ongoing project.
The main objectives under this project is to upgrade the non-productive local cattle and buffalo by infusion of superior germplasm through improved delivery mechanism of reaching frozen semen artificial insemination to the farmer’s doorstep.
Under this programme, the department is providing quality breeding through artificial insemination using Frozen semen and Liquid semen of superior bulls. Exotic breeds like Holstein Friesian and Jersey and Murrah Buffalo were introduced.
The existing established farms are taken up for quality breeds through artificial insemination which were made available to the interested farmers including local entrepreneurs and Village Development Boards.
Besides, for development and conservation of indigenous Thotho Cattle, Mithun and Buffalo, the department has started a comprehensive programme through cluster approach in the breeding tracts of this animals.
For faster dissemination and propagation of crossbred cattle the department has established the following farms; State Cattle Breeding Farm at Lerie, Medziphema, Aliba and Tuensang, Dairy Upgrading Centre at Mon and Peren, Regional Brown Swiss Cattle Breeding Farm at Jalukie, Bull Calf Rearing Centre at Jalukie and Sathazu and Regional Crossbred Cattle Breeding Farm at Baghty.
