BackOne Day Farmers-Scientists Interactive Meet and Ram and Buck Distribution Programme at Animal Genetics & Breeding Division

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One day Farmers-Scientists Interactive meet was conducted with the farmers registered with field component of the Malpura sheep of ICAR-Mega Sheep Seed Project (ICAR-MSSP) and AICRP goat unit for Sirohi breed on 09.07.2018 at Sector number 18 of Animal Genetics & Breeding Division, ICAR-Central Sheep & Wool Research Institute Avikanagar.  Nearly 150 farmers participated in the programme that also included female participants. Programme started at 9.30 am with registration of the farmers and discussion with the project team. Dr. Arun Kumar (Head AG&B) briefed about the project activities, importance of breed improvement and scientific breeding practices to the sheep breeders. Chief Guest of the function was Mr. Kanhaiyalal Choudhary (MLA), Special guests were Mr. Satyanarayan Gurjar (President, Sheep breeder’s co-operative) and Mr. Anil Kumar (PS, IASRI). All the head of the divisions, Dr. A. Sahoo (Head AN), Dr. Raghvendra Singh (Head APB), Dr. Shakyawar (In-Charge TMTC) and Dr. S. M. K. Naqvi (ex-Director ICAR-CSWRI) along with all the staff of the project team, scientific experts on sheep husbandry, administrative staff were present. Mr. Kanhaiyalal Choudhary (MLA) distributed the rams and bucks to the beneficiaries under the project and planted trees along with Director (Dr. Arun Kumar) and his team. Three farmers, who kept the best Malpura sheep germplasm were honoured by Honourable MLA. Kit for better shepherding was also distributed to the farmers. Every farmer was given a tree for plantation. A technical Bulletin on Mustard, authored by Dr. Rajkumar and team was also released on the occasion.

In the interactive meet, farmers asked several questions and doubts about the management of sheep rearing, economics associated with it and the disease and prophylactic measures. Scientists and head of the divisions helped farmers to address their queries related to all the aspects of sheep breeding, feeding, health and management. Dr. C.P. Swarnkar, Dr. R.S. Bhatt, Dr. S.C. Sharma, Dr. L.R. Gurjar discussed specific issues like health, feeding, fodder and co-operative society and its importance with farners. Concept of co-operatives was re-emphasised by Mr. Satyanarayan, and also urged for minimum support price for wool and meat and sale of lambs on weight basis. Director emphasised the need of undertaking scientific sheep rearing practices and stressed on the field data recording of supplied germplasm form the field and the progeny obtained from them. Chief Guest emphasized on development activities that have been gearing fast recently for doubling the income of farmers. On this occasion, 10 elite rams of Malpura sheep breed and 3 bucks of Sirohi goat were distributed to different farmers registered under the project.

Currently, Malpura project has nearly 70 registered flocks in the field in 24 villages that covers more than 5000 animals which are ear tagged or tattooed for scientific data recording. Improved rams of Malpura breed are supplied to the farmers registered under the project for further improvement of the field flocks. Data on all the production, reproduction and disease aspects are collected and analysed for research purpose.