CAU-CAEPHT and Department of A.H.L.F. & V.S. conducted Animal Health and Infertility Management Camp at Machong East Sikkim.
Sikkim is small organic hilly state; due to its topography reaching to dairy farmers door step is difficult. Livestock centric farming is practiced with special emphasis on dairy farming in remote villages. The contribution of small scale dairy farmers to state milk production is significant and playing very pivotal role in sustaining agriculture and horticultural production. Keeping the importance of dairy farming in state agricultural production and livelihood to the people in remote villages of hill state; College of Agricultural Engineering and Post Harvest Technology, Central Agricultural University (CAEPHT-CAU), Ranipool, Gangtok, Sikkim in collaboration with the Dept. of AHLF & VS, Govt. of Sikkim jointly conducted Animal Health and Infertility Management Camp at Lossing, Machong, East Sikkim on 30th March, 2016 and benefited more than 45 rural farmers/farm women/unemployed rural youths of Sikkim.
Dr. D.P. Pradhan, Dy Director (East) Department of A.H.L.F. &V.S. Govt. of Sikkim, in his opening remarks he highlighted the activities of department and various schemes of department for farming community apart from advocated the pig farming under deep litter housing condition developed by ICAR Sikkim Centre, is very economical and also help in to prevent mortality due to piglet anemia and increase production. Further it is also informed that Dept. of A.H.L.F. &V.S. is offering periodic hands on training to livestock keepers.Dr. Anjala Pradhan, Dy Director, Pakyong Subdivision, Dept. of A.H.L.F. &V.S. co-ordinated the program and given overview of program and she also delivered a talk on general management of the animals, housing, sanitation and feeding management. It is also stressed upon importance of periodic deworming and vaccination.
Dr. Brijesh Kumar, Scientist (Animal Reproduction) delivered a lecture on overall reproductive health management in dairy animals with special emphasis on correct time of Artificial insemination, sign of estrus, importance of feeding of mineral mixture and timely pregnancy diagnosis. Further he also detailed about various peri-parturient and metabolic diseases of dairy animals. It was also suggested to produce vermi-compost at large scale and urine collection, as it has equal economic potential by augmenting increased crop yield under organic farming.
Dr. B.K. Mehta, Livestock Assistant, CAEPHT-CAU, Ranipool, east Sikkim also co-ordinated the program and given a talk on preventive health measures to prevent diseases in dairy and working animals. Further he also emphasized importance of Indigenous Technology Knowledge in veterinary field especially in remote places and also informed about various measures to be taken by farmers in various disease condition. The required medicines and animal feed supplements (Mineral Mixture) were also distributed free to farmers.
Further, after the training lectures, there was a Farmers-Scientists interaction session to clarify all the doubts of the farmers and encourage them to adopt scientific animal husbandry practices to make animal husbandry more commercially viable. More than 20 animals were examined for various gynaecological disorders and other diseases at farmers door steps and suitable medicines were given free. Mr. Bikram Chetri, Mr. Bhim Tamang and Technical staffs of Veterinary dispensary Pakyong helped in medicine distribution and animal restraining.
The programme was executed very successfully and farmers expressed satisfaction about on spot diagnosis and medicine given in remote villages and these all happened under able and dynamic guidance of Dr. P.K. Srivastava, Dean, College of Agricultural Engineering and Post Harvest Technology, Central Agricultural University (CAEPHT-CAU), Ranipool, Gangtok, Sikkim and Director, Department of A.H.L.F. & V.S. Govt. of Sikkim. The active support received from Dr. R.K. Avasthe, The Joint Director ICAR Sikkim Centre is highly appreciable.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Shri B.B. Rai, Incharge, Machong Veterinary Dispensory, East Sikkim.
