By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 17 Dec: The Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (ICAR-IISWC) organised Kisan Goshtis on 15 and 17 December at Bhagwanpur and Kotimaychak in Raipur Block of Dehradun under the Farmers’ First project – Farmers Participatory Technology Application for Sustainable Resource Management and Livelihood Security in North-Western Himalaya – funded by the ICAR. The third camp will be held in Bhadasi village in Raipur Block on 21 December.
A team of Veterinary Doctors and officers, Dr Manish Patel, Sr Veterinary Officer, Raipur, and Dr Shahajahan, Veterinary Officer, Thano, from Uttarakhand State Animal Husbandry Department participated in the camps and addressed the farmers. Dr Patel explained to the farmers about various diseases and problems of animal rearing. He explained various animal healthcare measures for winter, summer and monsoon seasons with focus on the ongoing winter season and categorical Do’s and Don’ts in simple language. Dr Shahajahan briefed on various schemes and programmes including animal insurance, development of micro-enterprises and schemes for weaker sections of the society that are available at the State Veterinary Department.
Dr M Muruganandam, Sr Scientist (Fisheries) coordinated the camps and spoke on the importance of livestock development to rural and hill economy, nutrition and livelihoods. He requested farmers to use the animal medicines provided judiciously and adopt improved healthcare and sanitation practices on their own without any negative apprehension while highlighting the significance of animal healthcare measures and their timely and uniform adoption to improve animal well being and production. He reiterated that any incomplete or partial adoption or non-adoption of improved healthcare measures would defeat the very purpose of the interventions or at the time be counterproductive.
Dr Umakant Mouria, Sr Scientist (Soil Science), IISWC, spoke on proper manure and waste composting and its application in fields to improve soil fertility and produce quality animal fodder. He counted the benefits of an improved and scientific way of composting and waste recycling at the farm level. Suresh Kumar and Rakesh Kumar, Assistant Chief Technical Officers of the IISWC, spoke on the social issues of livestock production and animal husbandry.
The participants were informed about recent developments in improved livestock management, needed precautions, and medications. Importance of improved feeds and feeding techniques were appraised by the doctors. Farmers were sensitised on the needs of timely and complete adoptions of vaccination against various prominent animal diseases like Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), Black Quarter (BQ), Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS).
Veterinary medicines, feed supplements like mineral-vitamin mix, calcium powder, liver tonic, de-worming tablets, sanitary solution, and medicines for sick animals and improving milk yields and meat production were distributed free of cost under the project. Dr Patel and his group of veterinary officers prescribed medicines and medications, particularly for the menaces of ecto and endo-parasites like ticks, mites and lice, infestations by gastro-intestinal parasitic worms, fever, diarrhoea, tuberculosis, infertility, and nutritional deficiencies. Sick animals were inspected by the doctors and medication prescribed at the camps. The participants cleared their doubts on farming problems, animal diseases, their prevention, cure and medications besides the schemes and provisions available with the Animal Husbandry Department.
About 200 farmers, local leaders and Panchayat representatives from Bhagwanpur, Kotimaychak and adjacent villages participated in the camps. Suresh Kumar and Rakesh Kumar, and KR Joshi, IISWC, facilitated the camp activities.
