Self Employment through Poultry Farming in Nagaland
Low input backyard farming with deshi birds is the mainstream of poultry production prevailing in North Eastern states in India particularly Nagaland. The organized poultry sector in Nagaland consists of only 1.64% broiler and 0.80% layer to meet the demand of egg and meat required for almost 100 percent non-vegetarian population. Further, the preference of eggs and meat from coloured birds resembling to deshi is always very high and fetches almost double price than the commercial eggs and broiler meat.
To improve the rural poultry production in Nagaland, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Nagaland Centre, Jharnapani initiated the production of quality germplasm of dual purpose Vanaraja and layer type Gramapriya varieties under Poultry Seed Project in collaboration with Directorate of Poultry Research, Hyderabad in 2009-10. In last five years, the centre has produced 5.93 lakhs fertile eggs and 2.63 lakh chicks at the hatchery unit. More than 2.03 lakh chicks were supplied to the farmers’ directly or through KVKs, NGOs, and central sponsored programs throughout the states of Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. More than twenty capacity building programs for farmers, unemployed rural youth, women SHGs, covering about 1000 beneficiaries and 744 on-farm demonstrations with 25632 birds were conducted to popularize the Vanaraja and Gramapriya varieties in the state.
Livelihood Security
Egg Production:
Considering the enormous demand of dark brown eggs in Dimapur district of Nagaland, Mr. Libemo Lotha, an educated unemployed youth, got interested in poultry farming. He attended training at Nagaland Centre during March 2013 and initiated small scale intensive poultry unit with 400 Vanaraja and Gramapriya chicken. He maintained the male birds for four months before selling for meat purpose at average live weight 2.50 kg. The female birds were exclusively maintained for eggs production on homemade feed with locally available ingredients.He was able to earn a net profit of Rs. 9400 per month from first batch. Experiencing from his own farm and realizing the profit, he has extended the layer birds’ strength up to 700 birds in another unit of 2000 sq. ft area with the financial assistance of North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi), Dimapur. Mr. Libemo is now producing on average 580-600 eggs daily and selling at Rs. 7 per eggs in wholesale market. His net profit is now reached up to Rs. 57,800 per month from his layer unit. His achievement has motivated the fellow villagers and unemployed youths to initiate poultry farming as business venture.
Meat Production:
Mrs. Thezano, an educated unemployed woman from village Sethikema, Dimapur was traditionally engaged in animal husbandry activities, but could not get success due to lack of scientific knowledge and expertise. She underwent training on scientific poultry rearing at Nagaland Centre and started a semi-intensive poultry unit comprising 400 Vanaraja birds. About 98% percent birds survived during the period of four months of rearing and attained an average body weight of 2.5 kg at 16 weeks of age. She sold 1057 kg live weight at Rs. 150 per kg in local market and neighbouring villages.
From each batch, she was able to earn net profit of Rs. 35,000 to 40,000. She is now maintaining four batches in a year and earning an additional income of Rs. 1.4 to 1.6 lakh annually. Learning by doing at her own farm and realizing the profit, she has planned to extend the poultry unit for maintaining a stock of 1000 birds all the time. Her success has motivated the women SHGs in neighbouring villages for initiating backyard poultry farming with improved Vanaraja birds and made them self sustainable.
The Driving Force
ICAR Research Complex, Nagaland Centre is acting as a driving force in the region by extending technical guidance for establishment of poultry unit, supplying improved germplasm and assisting in financial and market linkages besides constant supervision and health care consultancy. Thus, Poultry Seed Project has brought new hope in the life of tribal people of Nagaland and acted as pivotal force in transformation of traditional zero input backyard poultry farming into profit oriented, year round employment opportunities and livelihood option for hundreds of rural youths and women folk of the state.
(Source: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Nagaland Centre, Jharnapani, Medziphema, Nagaland – 797 106)
