CM Conrad calls on Union Minister Giriraj Singh, holds discussion on Animal Husbandry

New Delhi: The Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma today called on the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Giriraj Singh in New Delhi to discuss various issues related to animal husbandry in the State.

The key topic of discussion was the piggery development project which is to be launched in Meghalaya financed by the National Cooperative Development Corporation along with the State Government. The proposed Piggery development project will boost the domestic availability of meat in the entire North Eastern Region and also promote its exports thereby giving livelihood opportunities to the people. It will also create awareness amongst the rural people to take up Piggery farming with improved breeding stock.

The Union Minister along with the Chief Minister of Meghalaya also discussed Fishery development possibilities in the State and the Union Minister assured the Chief Minister of all possible help in this regard.

Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, eggs, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding and the raising of livestock.

Husbandry has a long history, starting with the Neolithic revolution when animals were first domesticated, from around 13,000 BC onwards, antedating farming of the first crops. By the time of early civilizations such as ancient Egypt, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs were being raised on farms.

Major changes took place in the Columbian Exchange when Old World livestock was brought to the New World, and then in the British Agricultural Revolution of the 18th century, when livestock breeds like the Dishley Longhorn cattle and Lincoln Longwool sheep were rapidly improved by agriculturalists such as Robert Bakewell to yield more meat, milk, and wool.

A wide range of other species such as horse, water buffalo, llama, rabbit and guinea pig are used as livestock in some parts of the world. Insect farming, as well as aquaculture of fish, mollusks, and crustaceans, is widespread.

Modern animal husbandry relies on production systems adapted to the type of land available. Subsistence farming is being superseded by intensive animal farming in the more developed parts of the world, where for example beef cattle are kept in high-density feedlots, and thousands of chickens may be raised in broiler houses or batteries. On poorer soil such as in uplands, animals are often kept more extensively and may be allowed to roam widely, foraging for themselves.

Most livestock is herbivores, except for pigs and chickens which are omnivores. Ruminants like cattle and sheep are adapted to feed on grass; they can forage outdoors or maybe fed entirely or in part on rations richer in energy and protein, such as pelleted cereals. Pigs and poultry cannot digest the cellulose in forage and require cereals and other high-energy foods.

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