India News | Rs 18.95 Crore Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Dept Pilot Project
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Mizoram Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department has launched a Rs 18.95 crore pilot project to achieve self-sufficiency in meat and poultry products.
Aizawl, Nov 26 (PTI) The Mizoram Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department has launched a Rs 18.95 crore pilot project to achieve self-sufficiency in meat and poultry products.
State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary minister Dr K Beichhua, who launched the pilot project under the state flagship programme Socio Economic Development Policy (SEDP) on Wednesday said it will benefit a total of 1,020 beneficiaries from eight districts.
The minister said that Rs 548.65 lakh will be released as the first instalment to the beneficiaries for different trades to achieve self-sufficiency in meat and poultry products, which in turn will uplift the state economy in the near future.
Beichhua, who is also chairman of AH&Vety, Fishery and Sericulture Board of SEDP, said that the state is far from meeting its requirement in meat and poultry products.
He said that the government has banned the import of pigs and other meat products from neighbouring states and countries due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and to prevent the spread of swine flu like Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and African Swine Fever (ASF) in the state.
"The SEDP pilot project to achieve self sufficiency in meat and poultry products was conceived as the state failed to meet its requirement," he said.
He expressed hope that the pilot project will benefit the beneficiaries so that they make good livings.
According to Beichhua, the government is making massive efforts to usher in development despite the spread of novel coronavirus.
Highlighting the achievement of AH& Vety department during two years of the present government, he said that seven veterinary dispensaries were upgraded to full fledged veterinary hospitals, 35 rural animal health centres to veterinary dispensaries and new buildings of veterinary hospitals are currently being constructed in seven districts.
Besides, the government has also set up animal check gates in 10 villages near the inter-state and international border, and is currently constructing goat breeding farm, broiler poultry farm and intensive mithun stud farm in different parts of the state, he said.
Speaking at the launch, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department director Hmarkunga said the pilot project would cover different trades - Piglet Multiplication Unit (PMU), Piggery Fattening Unit (PFU), Broiler farming and backyard poultry (Rainbow Rooster) farming.
He said that financial assistance to the tune of Rs 3 lakh each would be provided to 20 beneficiaries under PMU and 200 beneficiaries under PFU.
Besides, Rs 1.5 lakh each will be provided to 400 beneficiaries for broiler farming and another 400 beneficiaries for rainbow rooster farming, he said.
According to the official, the PRRS has hit the state in 2013, 2016 and 2018 killing thousands of pigs.
SEDP is the flagship programme of the Mizo National Front (MNF) government headed by chief minister Zoramthanga, which aims at accelerating progress in key sectors and transforming Mizoram into a welfare state.
The programme was launched in February last year.
At least 14 boards of various sectors were set up to implement the flagship programme.
For implementation of SEDP, the state government has allocated Rs 750 crore for the fiscal 2019-2020 and Rs 513 crore for fiscal 2020-2021 respectively.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)