Rearing Livestock, Ensuring Success
- The rural people are traditionally farmers by profession nearly all the tribes are culturally associated with siri cows, bull goats , domestic fowls, etc .Livestock production and its products were used to be another backbone of the rural economy ,Rural people were self-reliant in those times because of good income from agriculture and aliied activities. However, for the last two decades, the rural people have stopped agriculture farming and livestock production because of lack of fodder to feed animal during winter and dry season, their dependency on MGNREGA and BPL rice facilities .In the last 30 years, government introduced improved breed of mulching cows and buffaloes. This resulted into disappearance of indigenous breeds. IN fact, Sikkim lost nearly 90% livestock population of indigenous siri breed cattle, goat, domestic fowl, pigs, etc. However, domesticated animal production system contributed to the region’s agro bio-diversity, while also helped local communities meet domestic needs and farm requirements (draught animal, manure, milk products, meat, wool, skin, etc.)Local breeds of these animals are well suited to the mountain environment and support farmers and hearders. Local cow breed like ‘pahadey gai ’ and ‘siri gai’ and local goat breeds like ‘singari bakhra’ are at the verge of disappearance from Sikkim. Livestock farming plays a vital role in the traditional mountain farming and thus has a large influence on the rural economy in the Sikkim Himalaya. Further, soil also lost its fertility because of non-availability of cow-dung from indigenous siri cattle and goat there by a low agricultural production in recent times. Our Government shall frame New Policy on Animal Husbandry and its Welfare for bringing about White Revolution in Sikkim.
- There shall have Animal Husbandry and Veterinary service Council as the advisory body to Government.
- There shall have actual census on livestock production and other parameters.
- There shall have model Diary Farms, Goatery FARMS, Piggery Farms and Poultry Farms with sophisticated modern technology.
- One lakh litre per day milk production shall be achieved within a few years.
- There shall have breeding farms for cows, goats, pigs, sheep and yak.
- Nomadic pastoralism, in which yak, sheep and goat used for pashmina production, shall be promoted.
- Agro –pastoralism of the Lhonak Valley, Lhashar Valley and Gurudongmar Tsholamu Plateau sustains the unique examples of production system including the conservation of the indigenous communities inhabited there. The agro-pastoralism shall be linked with tourism for livelihood promotion and for sustainability.
- There shall have program on bull rearing of direct breeds for fertilization at village level. Incentives shall be provided to bull rearing farmers.
- Sheep industry and yak industry shall be established.
- Cattle grazing play an important role in fertilizing forest soils ,pollination ,seed dispersal and specification of plat species .Further, thousands of animal husbandry farmers have suffered animal farming business of lack of grazing field and fodder stock during dry season. There shall have areas for cattle grazing in open natural areas.
- There shall have State Funded Animal Research Institute.
- Veterinary Hospital shall be established in all districts and veterinary clinic at Block Level.
- There shall have schemes and programs on fodder and feed production with the help of latest technology.
- There shall have schemes and programs on fish production.
- There shall have proper program on cattle shed management and animal welfare services.
- There shall have awareness programs for farmers about different kind of diseases in livestock.
- Small scale milk processing units and cold storage facilities shall be established at all GPU level.
- There shall have programs and schemes for making dairy products.
- National and international market for dairy products shall be channelized.
- Interest free loans shall be provided to farmers and entrepreneurs for start up programs in animal industry.
- All necessary support and facilities like milk, plant milk can and tanks, pasteurizers, separators, homogenizers, etc. shall be provided to small to big scale dairy farmers.
- All the goat, pig, poultry and fish growers shall be uplifted through various means.
- Various subsidies and incentives shall be provided to all animal husbandry farmers based on quantum of livestock.
- Processing and packaging units for meat shall be established at GPU level.
- There shall have animal quarantine laboratory at Rangpo and Melli Check posts.
- Trained man power and Para-veterinary staff shall be recruited in the veterinary cadre services.
- There shall have Pashu Mela to promote and strengthen white Revolution.