Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh, inaugurate College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Jalukie
Morung Express News
Peren | August 6
Known as the “Rice bowl of Nagaland”, Jalukie sub-division in Peren district received a triple boon from the Central Government with simultaneous inaugurations of College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) and Farmers’ Training School, on Saturday.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh, inaugurated the College and KVK and Nagaland Chief Minister inaugurated the Farmers’ Training School, in presence of a host of dignitaries both from the central and state governments.
Addressing a public reception after unveiling the monolith of the veterinary & AH college, the Union Minister envisioned the role of the new college as an institute that would help the Nagaland state in accessing modern technologies to fulfill the vision of the state government for self-sufficiency in animal husbandry produces; given the reality that livestock, piggery and poultry farming have always been integral part of the Naga people.
Singh acknowledged that animal husbandry practices have been playing a vital role in supplementing family income and generating employment to the rural poor apart from efficient utilization of agricultural products and by-products suitable for human consumption.
Therefore, the college would complement the development of animal husbandry in Nagaland and benefit the people at large, he said. He also said that while the college is being established by the central government, the help and support of the state government and Veterinary Council of India is equally important in achieving the mandate of the college in letter and spirit.
The Union Minister also commented that Nagaland with its rich bio-diversity is the most appropriate state for veterinary science and animal husbandry development.
Singh said agriculture education plays an important role in ensuring food security and human resource development in any society, wherein the role of universities is pivotal.
On the occasion, the Union Minister also announced that Kiphire, the last district without a KVK, would get one by the current financial year. The Union Minister also released a book titled ‘Pig breeding policy in Nagaland’ and also distributed seeds, livestock and agriculture equipment to selected farmers.
TR hopes Vet College will help realize self-sufficiency in meat
Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang hoped that the new college of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry in Nagaland become an important player and catalyst in the social-economic development of the state and in the effort to achieve self-sufficiency in meat. The Chief Minister revealed that the import of meat, milk and eggs to Nagaland from outside stands at a staggering Rs 213 crore per year, the biggest portion being accounted by pork import.
In this backdrop, Zeliang espoused confidence that the college produce an army of dedicated veterinary doctors who will become hands-on practitioners and animal farmers, who will be the change agents in revolutionizing our animal husbandry system, and then helping the state realize its vision of self-sufficiency in meat by the year 2025.
“I also expect the college to be more research oriented rather than focusing on mere academic results, I mean research which are more relevant to our society and the conditions prevailing in Nagaland; research that will carry our traditional knowledge with modern science and draw the best from both.”
The Chief Minister also announced that the Veterinary Council of India has conveyed to the Registrar of the Central Agriculture University, Imphal, Manipur, the permission to admit 30 admissions to Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry (BV Sc & AH) course for the academic year 2016-17.
