Sri Vijaya Puram, June 10: In a significant move to empower animal husbandry farmers across the Union Territory, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services has organized an inter-state exposure visit to enhance skills and promote advanced livestock practices.
As part of the initiative, 25 progressive farmers from remote areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were taken to the ICAR–National Research Centre on Pig, Guwahati, for advanced training in scientific pig rearing. The program, designed to provide hands-on learning and updated knowledge, focused on improving animal productivity and sustainability in piggery.
The exposure visit comes in response to the limited access to communication and technical knowledge faced by farmers living in far-flung areas such as Pulopanja and Makachua in Nicobar District, and Chouldari, Rangat, Billiground, and Diglipur in North and Middle Andaman. The initiative seeks to bridge the knowledge gap and support sustainable livestock development across the Islands.
During the training, participants attended technical sessions led by experts on a wide range of subjects, including creeper management, disease control, biosecurity, artificial insemination, market-based farming, breeding strategies, nutritional practices, waste disposal, and feed management. The sessions also allowed for interactive discussions between farmers and experts, providing valuable insights into advanced pig farming and emerging market trends.
Farmers expressed that witnessing successful practices and engaging directly with experts served as a major motivation. The visit, they said, was an eye-opener and reaffirmed their commitment to implement the new techniques on their farms.
Grateful for the opportunity, participants acknowledged the Department’s efforts in facilitating this learning experience, marking a positive step toward modernizing animal husbandry in the Islands.
