ICAR-CIARI Conducts Coaching on Modern Pig Farming for Farmers in Assam and West Bengal

Tarun Karthick

Sri Vijaya Puram, 25 March 2025

The ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (CIARI), Sri Vijaya Puram, organized two coaching 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 advertise scientific pig farming for financial empowerment amongst farmers.

The first coaching programme was performed at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kharua, Assam, in collaboration with KVK, Kharua. A complete of 151 pig farmers, predominantly girls from the Bodo group (a Tibeto-Burman talking ethnolinguistic group), participated within the coaching. Following the session, 35 tons of balanced pig feed was distributed to the farmers to encourage the adoption of contemporary farming practices below the NEH element of AICRP on Pig.

The programme was coordinated by Dr. A.Okay. De, Senior Scientist and Principal Investigator, AICRP-Pig Improvement, and Dr. Debasis Bhattacharya, Principal Scientist, ICAR-CIARI, within the presence of Dr. Debjit Deka, Subject Matter Specialist (Animal Science) at KVK, Kharua.

On the next day, one other coaching programme was held on the Kalyani campus of the Eastern Regional Station of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Nadia, West Bengal, benefiting 26 Scheduled Caste farmers. As a part of this programme, 12.4 tons of balanced pig feed and digital digital weighing scales had been distributed to the farmers to facilitate scientific pig farming and enhance their financial circumstances.

During each periods, farmers had been sensitized about a number of key points of pig farming, together with:

• Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) Mitigation: Awareness in regards to the 2-7-10-15 module, an ICAR-certified know-how developed by scientists at ICAR-CIARI.
• Importance of Castration: For making certain faster returns.
• Nutritional Benefits of Pig Feed: Promoting using balanced feed for higher financial outcomes.
• Gestation Management: Through calcium remedy for improved reproductive well being.
• Disease Management: Strategies for controlling frequent viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections.

These initiatives replicate ICAR-CIARI’s dedication to empowering marginalised communities by enhancing their information and entry to fashionable pig farming applied sciences, in the end driving financial progress and enhancing livelihoods.