Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 25 March 2025
The ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (CIARI), Sri Vijaya Puram, organized two training programmes on “Modern Pig Farming Practices” in Assam and West Bengal on March 21 and 22, 2025, respectively. The initiative, supported by the North Eastern Hill (NEH) fund and the Scheduled Caste Component of the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Pig, aimed to promote scientific pig farming for economic empowerment among farmers.
The first training programme was conducted at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kharua, Assam, in collaboration with KVK, Kharua. A total of 151 pig farmers, predominantly women from the Bodo community (a Tibeto-Burman speaking ethnolinguistic group), participated in the training. Following the session, 35 tons of balanced pig feed was distributed to the farmers to encourage the adoption of modern farming practices under the NEH component of AICRP on Pig.
The programme was coordinated by Dr. A.K. De, Senior Scientist and Principal Investigator, AICRP-Pig Improvement, and Dr. Debasis Bhattacharya, Principal Scientist, ICAR-CIARI, in the presence of Dr. Debjit Deka, Subject Matter Specialist (Animal Science) at KVK, Kharua.
On the following day, another training programme was held at the Kalyani campus of the Eastern Regional Station of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Nadia, West Bengal, benefiting 26 Scheduled Caste farmers. As part of this programme, 12.4 tons of balanced pig feed and digital electronic weighing scales were distributed to the farmers to facilitate scientific pig farming and improve their economic conditions.
During both sessions, farmers were sensitized about several key aspects of pig farming, including:
- Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) Mitigation: Awareness about the 2-7-10-15 module, an ICAR-certified technology developed by scientists at ICAR-CIARI.
- Importance of Castration: For ensuring quicker returns.
- Nutritional Benefits of Pig Feed: Promoting the use of balanced feed for better economic outcomes.
- Gestation Management: Through calcium therapy for improved reproductive health.
- Disease Management: Strategies for controlling common viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections.
These initiatives reflect ICAR-CIARI’s commitment to empowering marginalised communities by enhancing their knowledge and access to modern pig farming technologies, ultimately driving economic progress and improving livelihoods.