GUWAHATI, Sept 20 - The State government has initiated a number of projects for developing the dairy, animal husbandry and poultry sectors.
Revealing this at a press conference today, Agriculture and Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Minister Atul Bora said that projects which are to be implemented in the next five years include a scheme for enhancing milk production through livestock development.
�We want to give a boost to milk production, and for this we will implement a scheme in 10 districts of the State,� Bora said.
Other dairy development measures include regular vaccination of livestock covering 38,069 cattle rearers from 61 development blocks in 16 districts under APART, popularization of buffalo rearing through line breeding of local buffaloes as well as cross breeding of local buffaloes with Mura buffaloes, subsidized institutional finance to 17,217 dairy entrepreneurs under a NABARD project, holding of regular livestock checkup and vaccination camp and constitution of milk cooperatives under each veterinary hospital.
�We have earmarked Rs 4,514 lakh for the five-year project for development of milk cooperatives,� he said.
On the piggery sector, Bora said that of the 19 pig farms under the department, 16 are functioning properly and that an amount of Rs 500 lakh had been earmarked for developing four solo farms and the rest as multipurpose farms.
District-level piggery clusters will also be set up for developing the sector, besides facilitating related services such as artificial breeding, vaccination, etc. Four pork processing plants will also be set up, he added.
Similarly, several measures will be launched for the development of the poultry and goatery sectors.
�In view of the potential of poultry, we will promote commercial poultry by setting up farms and engaging local youths in the next five years, with a target of 40-45 lakh poultry and production of 125 crore eggs annually,� Bora said, adding that Matri Broiler farms would supply chicks at fair price to the entrepreneurs.
