As mutton remains popular, 2 State sheep & goat farms close down

As mutton remains popular, 2 State sheep & goat farms close down

Veteriry & Animal Husbandry Department continues to wallow in neglect & non-performance

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Oct 9: The State Veteriry and Animal Husbandry Department had four sheep and goat farms till recently. But the department has fallen on bad times and can hardly justify its existence, such has been its non-performance. Of late, two such farms have already been closed, and the remaining two are also gasping for life.

The goat breeding farm at Howli in Barpeta and the goat farm at Titabor in Jorhat have been closed. The remaining two farms are the sheep & goat farm at Panbari in Kokrajhar and sheep & goat breeding farm at Silonijan in Karbi Anglong. The farm at Silonijan is a model goat farm set up to bring about awareness on employment and entrepreneurial potential of local farmers. However, this farm is also ailing.

An official of the department said the main activities of such farms are producing breeding buck of genetically good potency, creating awareness about scientific goat rearing amongst farmers, rendering veteriry services to farmers, organizing treatment goat camps and distributing bucks for local goat improvement (genetically). They also held different training sessions and workshops for the purpose. However, perennial cash crunch has ruined the programme.

The goat is an all-weather farm animal and can acclimatize both in the plains as well as in hills. The demand for goat meat and milk is also very high in the State. Apart from this, the goat is essential for puja and other purposes.

The State has to import goat from other States to meet the demand for mutton during Magh Bihu, Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Eid etc. However, despite such high potential, the State Veteriry and Animal Husbandry Department has utterly failed to meet the demand. If this is not inefficiency on the part of the department under successive governments in the State, what else is? The existing farms are also white elephants as they have stopped their training and workshops sessions.

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