Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 30:
Even though the State Govt has completely failed in its endeavour to rear pigs on a large scale, the piggery farm set up by the Central Agriculture University inside its premises has a different story to tell because of its successful implementation.
Talking to The Sangai Express, CAU's "Dept of Animal Science" Principal Investigator Prof M Dhaneshwar said that CAU launched the piggery project with the primary objective of creating awareness among the people on pigs rearing and also to help improve the economic conditions of the general public by introducing piggery farms on a large scale.
Informing that the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairy had already sanctioned Rs 11 lakhs for the "Integrated Piggery Development project" which was launched in March 2003, Dhaneshwar said that CAU has been able to identify five new breeds of pigs through cross breeding since starting the project.
Most of the pigs presently reared at the CAU's complex are of Chinese origin and can gain weight upto 120 Kgs within eight months and 200 to 250 kgs within one and half years, added the Professor.
He also said that besides imparting two training programmes on pig rearing to private farmers since the launching of the "Integrated piggery Development Project" CAU authorities have also sold over 200 pigs for rearing to the farmers at subsidised rates.
Elaborating on the procedure for rearing pigs, Prof Dhaneshwar said that piglets should be carefully nurtured during its infancy stage and effort should be made to keep the sty as clean as possible by washing it daily and further said that vaccines should be given to the pigs before the onset of the Monsoon for protection against Hook Worms and Ring worms.
Maintaining that food rich in carbohydrates are the best source of food for pigs, Prof Dhaneshwar said that inclusion of Pankhok (local name) in the diet of the pigs is very good as it contains Okzalic Acid which makes the pig fall unconscious after consumption preventing the pig from using any of its energy and in the process helps in gaining extra weight.
Amino acid which is mainly found in the bones of fish is also another important ingredient needed by the Pigs during its growing period, said Prof Dhaneshwar and added that bones of fishes should be crushed and cooked with other food materials before being fed to the pigs.