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KOHIMA — With a focus on increasing youth engagement in the livestock sector and enhancing domestic meat production, department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences (AHVS) on Wednesday organised a state-level workshop on National Livestock Mission (NLM) and Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) at Japfu Hotel in Kohima.
The workshop was supported by the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
The joint director of AHVS, Dr. Ilang, who chaired the programme, introduced the NLM-EDP as a key national initiative targeting increased pork production and self-sufficiency. He noted that Nagaland’s high meat consumption and reliance on imports led to significant financial outflows.
He stated that NLM aims to address this by encouraging local pork farming by setting a target of reaching 156 million pigs by 2025, stated an update from the department.
Delivering the keynote address, the director of AHVS, Dr. Achila Ao, emphasised NLM’s role in job creation and entrepreneurship support. She highlighted the mission’s sub-missions in areas like breed quality, feed and research, aiming to make India’s livestock sector more sustainable and competitive.
Dr. Suiding Hinglak, representing FM Development and Marketing, provided a detailed presentation of NLM on piggery, poultry, feed and fodder development schemes. He outlined the application process, eligibility criteria, required documentation and installment release process and informed that applications could be submitted online for increased accessibility.
An entrepreneur, John Pienyu, shared his success story and mentioned that the recent control of African swine fever has now made an ideal time to invest in piggery farming. He also praised the insurance support offered by NLM for protecting livestock investments.
Kekhiisezo Zao from the National Insurance Company spoke on the importance of insurance as a financial safeguard and urged the entrepreneurs to approach it as a security tool.
The workshop concluded with remarks from Dr. Aoyimsim Jamir, deputy director of AHVS, who thanked the participants and encouraged them to leverage NLM resources to enhance Nagaland’s livestock sector.