A CORRESPONDENT
BOKAKHAT: “Is the Animal Husbandry Department there for us, or are we here for the department? They come to us only when we inform them about a problem. They do not provide us with any assistance or advice on their own.”
These are the words of Rohit Sahu, a young livestock farmer from Chahola under Bokakhat Sub-Division, who was invited to Delhi under the Government of India’s Gokul Scheme and felicitated by the Prime Minister.
Sahu owns a farm with more than 100 cattle, including 70 improved-breed cows. He expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as the Animal Husbandry Department’s lack of interest in supporting livestock farmers.
According to Sahu, 136 of his pigs were affected by African Swine Fever, which he attributed to negligence by the department. He has repeatedly alleged that departmental negligence was a major reason he was denied compensation following the deaths of 102 pigs.
Sahu has been engaged in dairy farming for many years and currently sells around 450 litres of milk a day. His milk is sold in Dergaon, Badulipar, the NRL township area and nearby locations.
At present, several of his cattle are suffering from foot-and-mouth disease. After the disease appeared at his farm, five pregnant cows gave birth prematurely.
Drawing on his own experience, Sahu has been purchasing medicines and treating the cattle himself. He said that his cattle farm has received neither government assistance nor support from the Animal Husbandry Department.
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