The Chakhesang Public Organization (CPO) of Nagaland has taken strong exception of the State Government’s move to import live pigs from Punjab.
The organization has asked the Government to constitute a high-level committee to study the impact of livestock imports on local economy, besides examining constitution of an amalgamated society for improvement of livestock rearing and marketing in a time-bound mission mode programme.
In a press statement issued on Monday, CPO president Kekhwengulo Lea and general secretary Mutsivoyi Kotso urged the State Government to depute a high-level delegation headed by Department of Underdeveloped Areas (DUDA) adviser and comprising DUDA principal secretary, joint director, adviser to Nagaland government (marketing) and a consultant to Punjab, which expressed ‘keen interest’ in importing live pigs from Punjab.
They pointed out that as a consequence of the visit, Punjab would start supplying 8,000 pigs to Nagaland every month and help its pig farmers earn Rs 200 crore annually, or approximately 267 pigs daily at a cost of Rs 55 lakh.
While appreciating the initiative, CPO questioned the State Government what prompted it to decide importing pigs, when the same could be produced locally.
It also asked whether the State’s climate was not viable for pig farming or was there any shortage of local entrepreneurs or was pig farming outside the purview of State’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department.
The organisation pointed out that it had imposed a ban on import of pigs from outside Chakhesang jurisdiction for commercial purpose, except for rearing and that too below 30 kg and with certification from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department since 2000.
This, it claimed, had encouraged farmers to rear pigs locally, thus benefiting and uplifting their economy, besides arresting draining out of hard cash and preventing epidemics.