Pig farmers told to prioritise on nutrition

Dimapur: In order to produce healthy meat and make gainful business, veterinary assistant surgeon, Dr. Michael Imti Imchen, advised the pig farmers to prioritise on nutrition, which is often overlooked, by producing their own pig feed.

Speaking as the resource person on ‘Awareness on the current state of the piggery sector’ at the annual general meeting-cum-awareness seminar of the Nagaland Pig Farmers’ Association (NPFA) in its office in Dimapur on Friday, Dr. Imchen stated that Naga people have been raising pigs since the time of their forefathers, albeit not on a commercial scale. While pointing out that vaccination and deworming are important aspects of healthcare in the piggery sector, Dr. Imchen reminded on the importance of nutrition, which was often overlooked by Naga pig farmers.

He advised the gathering to prioritise on nutrition and suggested that the best way to address the nutrition gap was to produce their own pig feed. He pointed out that some company feeds contain steroids and antibiotics, which enable the pigs to grow quickly and warned that the residues of those substances could end up in the meat and pose health risks to consumers.

He, therefore, stated that with proper guidance and component, Naga pig farmers could produce high-quality feed for their pigs.

The resources person also urged the gathering not to hesitate to vaccinate their pigs. He also emphasised on the importance of hygiene and bio-security stating that bio-security measures were crucial in combating African swine fever, which adversely affected many pig farmers. He encouraged the association to formulate their own disease prevention act and incorporate bio-security modules in their farms.

Imchen further advised the pig farmer associations to establish their own units in all districts of Nagaland in order to promote pig farming industry.

The welcome addressed by delivered by the association’s president, Rev. Subong Aier, while the audit report was also presented to the committee for the year 2021-2023 at the meeting.