High demand for pork, low production in Nagaland

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Jan. 8 (EMN): In a bid to accelerate pork production and boost the local economy among the people of Northeast India, veterinary officials and pig farmers have drawn a roadmap for its journey towards a pink revolution.

This was sensitised to the state pig farmers in an awareness camp organised by the Northeast Progressive Pig Farmers Association (NEPPFA) on commercial pig farming at Veterinary Office at Tinpati in Kohima on Saturday.

Stating that traditional methods were not sufficient to meet the growing demands, Dr. Bhagat Lal Dutta, Advisor of NEPPFA and Consultant of National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP), Government of Assam, highlighted how NEPPFA has been impacting  people and help people adopt scientific pig rearing.

He stressed on self-sufficiency and pointed out that the money in the state always goes outside, which could otherwise have been circulated within Nagaland and at the same time boost the state economy. In this regard, he said that for Nagaland to be self-sufficient, ‘people have to come out collectively as government, organisations and individuals’.

Highlighted how the pig production could be increased, he said that a new generation of educated youths are venturing into pig farming by improvising backyard farming as the demand for pork is there round the year and not only confined to the festive seasons.

He said there is a demand of more than one lakh kilogram of pork in the entire Northeast in a day.

Dutta asserted that this farming has also become a sector that has been generating employment, considering the chain of work involved in pork production. He informed that there are investments coming in from both the government and private sectors, while enlightening the participants about the possibilities and projects they could avail.

Time to increase production — Dr. Yhome

Meanwhile, Dr. Elizabeth Yhome, Veterinary Surgeon at Veterinary Hospital Kohima (VHK), maintained that people have been rearing pigs in the backyard for a very long time and that it is time to reflect on the same considering the high demand of meat.

She recalled how people had to rush to get meat during the pandemic regardless of Covid scare. She added that it must be a realisation for the people of the state to rear pigs to be self-sufficient.

She lamented that Nagas are non-vegetarians but cannot produce it for its consumption, depending heavily on North Indian states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab – for meat.

“Many of us call ourselves farmers, searching for schemes or projects and many were also given by the department but when we go and see ground reality, many are non-existent or even the big projects are on small scale,” said the official while calling for effort to reflect on what should be done to produce and boost the piggery sector considering the huge demand and low internal production.

She said that taking up pig farming on a large commercial and organised system would even solve the unemployment problem, while generating income and getting healthy meat.

She also stressed on the need for adopting modern scientific methods of rearing pigs by bringing in good breeds, with proper feeding, housing and management to carry forward the state economy.

The official asserted that people should broaden their ideas in a global world and put in ‘hard work’ to achieve the goals and succeed in livestock business.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of NEPPFA, Timirbijoy Srikumar gave a presentation on NEPPFA and its aspiration to establish Northeast India’s pork as a global brand and ensure quality pork.

Highlighting the strategy of the association, he said it is to create an ecosystem for commercial piggery and position it as a sustainable and profitable means of employment generation, and conduct behavioural change communication to influence communities towards hygienic meat (pork) by building trust.