Manipur’s social welfare and cooperation minister, Nemcha Kipgen on Wednesday attended the national workshop on Entrepreneurship Development through Duck Farming in a video conference through Zoom Webinar at the official residence of the minister in Imphal.

The video conference was jointly organized by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Government of India, Government of Kerala, Government of Bihar, Government of Goa and Government of Manipur, according to DIPR sources in Imphal.

Delivering an inaugural message, minister Nemcha Kipgen while welcoming all the participants, highlighted that duck farming is fast becoming an effective tool for socio-economic upliftment of people engaged in poultry farming.

It is a very good income generating occupation as it can be reared by marginal farmers and women farmers, she asserted.

This workshop is a significant step towards popularizing duck farming as an effective means for increasing the farmer’s income thereby improving their livelihood, the minister stated.

Nemcha further stressed that in Manipur, duck farming has good potential for growth in the state.

With the arrangement of much needed technical and financial support, it can become a good income generating occupation in poultry sector.

She stated that entrepreneurship development is the need of the hour for socio-economic growth of these duck farming SHGs or cooperatives.

She also mentioned that such initiative is in the right direction in the endeavor to achieve the goal of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ under the able leadership and guidance of Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

The minister also expressed gratitude to NCDC for sanctioning Agriculture Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) project and approving pisciculture project in Four Districts of Manipur namely Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching and Bishnupur as well as piggery project in Kangpokpi district.