Mokokchung, October 21 (MTNews): In an effort to assist farmers in Nagaland who are engaged in animal husbandry, Union Minister Parshottam Rupala on Friday flagged off mobile veterinary units which will be offered in all 16 districts of the state.
Union Cabinet Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, GoI, Parshottam Rupala and Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio jointly launched the Mobile Veterinary Unit (MVU) at Secretariat Plaza, Nagaland Civil Secretariat, Kohima on October 21, 2022.
The union minister, who is on a two-day visit to Nagaland beginning Thursday, stated that it is difficult to bring cattle to veterinary hospitals due to the topography of Nagaland, but the MVUs will now enable doctors to provide services at the doorstep of farmers and also conduct artificial insemination to increase livestock in the state.
The MVUs are customized and outfitted to provide veterinary services through a single-window delivery system that includes, among other things, diagnosis, treatment, minor surgeries, sample collection, vaccination, and artificial insemination.
He stated that Prime Minister Modi’s vision of New India, which includes increasing the health care facilities for not only Indian citizens but also animals, has become a reality, as it has now reached every corner of India, including Nagaland.
Rupala also urged the Veterinary Department to make full use of the facility in order to keep the animal population growing, adding that timely treatment provided to animals via the mobile facility will result in good production, and Nagaland will soon become self-sufficient in producing milk, meat, and eggs for consumption.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio stated that the veterinary mobile unit is desperately needed in the state to reach animals in remote areas. Rio anticipated that the introduction of this vehicle unit would greatly benefit livestock farmers, particularly in a state like Nagaland where connectivity is a major constraint to providing effective and timely veterinary services.
He also encouraged farmers and business owners to begin rearing and investing in piggery, dairy, fisheries, and other animal husbandry activities in order to increase production and reduce reliance on imported dairy and meat products from other states.
Though 70% of the population of the State of Nagaland is dependent on agriculture and livestock, yet sadly, Nagaland still lacks the mechanism to check the health of the animals which are imported to the State, according to Rio.
He requested that the Veterinary Department establish a breeding farm for pigs in each district so that quality meat can be produced within the State, as well as animal feeds that are economically viable for farmers.
According to Nagaland’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services department, the MVUs are part of an initiative for “establishment and strengthening of veterinary hospitals and dispensaries in states on 100 per cent central assistance.”
This is under the Livestock Health and Disease Control (LH&DC) Program with the main objective to increase accessibility of veterinary services to farmers.
With the assistance of the GoI, the State customized 16 vehicles for 12 districts, and one for each of the Elisa Laboratory, Veterinary Field Assistant Training Institute, Vaccine Bank, and State Level Monitoring Centre.
The flagging off ceremony was attended by AHoDs/HoDs and officials from Agriculture and Allied Departments.