Indian government to support Mithun development and conservation in Nagaland

Dimapur, July 12 (EMN): Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Giriraj Singh has said that the government of India is mulling to provide full support for Mithun development and conservation in Nagaland.

Singh said this when the State’s animal husbandry & veterinary services and women resource development advisor, R Khing and his team from the department including Alan Gonmei, commissioner & secretary met him on July 11 in New Delhi, informed Kuolie Mere, PRO (IPR) Nagaland House, in a press release.

Khing congratulated the Union Minister on taking over the newly created ministry and briefed him about the potential of animal husbandry in Nagaland because of its rich natural vegetation and food habit of the people. He also informed Singh about the importance of piggery and mithun in the State and the need to promote and conserve these livestock to meet the increasing demand.

He requested the Union Minister to provide all possible help from the government of India for promotion of piggery, dairy and mithun conservation and development to the state.

On this, Singh informed the team that “he is already in touch with ICAR for Mithun Development in Nagaland and expressed the intention of the Government of India” to support the proposal. He also said that he intends to make Nagaland and other states in Northeast region self sufficient in pork as the demand for it is high in the region.

The Union Minister suggested that the State can replicate the Meghalaya model on pig value involving cooperative societies for production, management, slaughtering and marketing. He also mentioned that “incorporation of quality protein maize (QPM) and moringa in the State can reduce the cost of production of pigs by reducing the concentrated / industrial feeds.”

The minister also suggested that the State encourages silage making through usage of QPM along with it biomass through fodder development and assured to take up the proposal submitted by the State.

The team of officers from the department led by Khing also called on Ashok Pillai, Chief Director, National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) at his office in New Delhi on the same day and discussed the modalities and possibilities for promoting pig value chain through credit linkage in the State.