BackThirty sheep farmers of Bikaner learnt the technique of Machine Shearing at Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

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A seven days interstate training on  “Modern techniques of Machine shearing in sheep” under ATMA scheme cafeteria activity B-2(a) was organized through ICAR-CSWRI, Arid Region Campus Bikaner at Rishikesh farm of Uttarakhand Sheep & Wool Development Board, Uttarakhand from 27 Jan to 02 Feb, 2020.  Thirty sheep farmers from different villages of Bikaner mostly from adopted centres of Magra field unit under Network Project on sheep Improvement participated in the training program. Aim of training was to sensitize the sheep farmers to adopt the machine shearing and to learn all the techniques related to handling of shearing machine, parts of shearing and machine and their importance along with hands on practice of shearing by machine on sheep on all the days of training. At the onset of training Dr H K Narula inspired the sheep farmers to learn the machine shearing techniques sincerely and to adopt it after returning from training. Dr Ramesh Tambia, DDM, NABARD, Bikaner told about many schemes of loaning and subsidy of GOI to benefit the sheep farmers.  At Rishikesh, trainee sheep farmers were exposed to machine shearing by their own at farmers doorstep.  They also got the opportunity to interact with local sheep farmers of high altitude of Uttarakhand and discussed the hardship and challenges faced by sheep farmers of Uttarakhand. Farmers also learned the care and management of machines, packing of wool and parameters of wool quality in various classes during the training. Dr Avinash Anand discussed about the importance of sheep and wool in hill region. Mr Hitender Kumar, Incharge, Rishikesh centre of USWDB discussed about wool sorting and marketing strategies to fetch higher prices of wool in market. Training was conducted by Dr Ashish Chopra as Coordinator and Dr H K Narula and Dr Ghous Ali as Joint coordinator.