KHUPA, 29 Jul: Twenty-one farmers from different villages of Hayuliang circle in Anjaw district benefitted from a training programme on ‘alternative feeds for livestock and poultry’, organised here by the Anjaw KVK on Friday.
The programme was aimed at reducing the problem of scarcity of livestock feeds and their cost.
“Feed is one of the costliest components of the livestock and poultry industry. Anjaw is one of the remotest districts of the country. Difficult transportation facilities further exaggerate the cost of feed, resulting in higher feed costs, less availability and poor nutrition of domesticated animals,” said animal science specialist Dr Santosh Kumar to the farmers.
Therefore, he said, “alternative feeds available locally may play an important role for livestock and poultry farmers of Anjaw district.”
Information about locally available plants used for ruminants and poultry feeding was provided to the farmers in the local language.
The KVK has developed a technology for using fermented banana stem as pig and small ruminant feed. A demonstration on ‘fermentation of banana stem feed’ was made and hands-on training was imparted.
“A film on drumstick cultivation and its uses as feed for poultry, cattle, mithun, pig and goat was screened, along with cultivation practices and nursery raising techniques,” the KVK informed in a release.
The farmers were advised to grow drumsticks and establish a model farm for integrated poultry/pig-cum-drumstick farming in the district.
At the end of the programme, drumstick seeds were distributed to the farmers.
