BackOne day interactive meet at CSWRI Avikanagar

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A one day interactive meet was organized by ISSGPU in association with CSWRI at Avikanagar on the topic entitled “Strategies for improvement in quality and quantity meat production from small ruminant rearing system”. Chief Guest of the meet Dr R M Acharya (former DDG, Animal Sciences. ICAR) and Guests of Honour Dr V V Kulkarni (Director, NRC on Meet, Hyderabad) and Sh Pandit Rao Chidri (Chairman Karnatak Sheep and Wool Development Corporation Ltd) graced the occasion with their benign presence. Director of the Institute and President, ISSGPU, Dr S M K Naqvi welcome all the Guests and delegates and presented current status and future prospects of small ruminant production emphasizing mutton production. Dr A. Sahoo, Organizing Secretary and Dr R.S. Bhatt, Joint-Organizing Secretary elaborated on the theme and significance of the Interactive Meet involving participation of farmers, traders, transporters, industry and scientists involvement of resource persons to deliberate on current constraints and issues aimed at meat production, processing and marketing from small ruminants. Dr Acharya has expressed that lot of work has been done in the field of sheep and goat research by the CSWRI, Avikanagar and CIRG, Makhdoom, particularly in breeding, physiology and reproduction, nutrition and feeding and animal health care management, but it could not be properly transcribed under field condition due to the underprivileged socio-economic status of sheep and goat rearers and poor support from development agencies. He further stressed upon that such interactive meet would always provide appropriate platform to disseminate and transcribe the research activity in a two-way approach, viz. Farm to Fork and vice versa.  Dr V.V. Kulkarni has further strengthened the issue with regards to quality meat production and organic farming for organic meat production, post-harvest technology and profitability. Sh Pandith Rao Chidri has presented details information with regards to sheep development work and schemes that are undertaken recently in the Karnataka state and he has emphasized the self-help group concept for upliftment of this livestock farming community. Sh Ashok Kale, Chairman, AGF, Ahmed Nagar, Maharastra presented a whole farm approach from production to marketing. Dr A. Suresh, Sr Scientist IARI, New Delhi put forward socio-economic and sustainability issues related to sheep and goat rearing. Issue based interactive discussion involving farmers - traders and industry – scientists was the chief attraction of the meet. Nearly hundred and fifty people involving farmers, grower, trader, industrialists, scientists and other resource persons across the country participated in this event. The meeting ended with vote of thanks to all the participants.