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In a meaty discussion to mark Ranchi Veterinary College’s golden jubilee celebrations, Governor Syed Ahmed on Wednesday made an egg-xtra special request to scientists: milk Jharkhand’s true potential.
Ahmed, who was addressing a national symposium on sustainable livestock and poultry development, urged animal husbandry experts to make concerted efforts to enhance the state’s meat, egg and milk production.
He pointed out that the per capita annual meat availability in Jharkhand was a paltry 5.48kg against a national average of 21.9kg. Availability of milk and egg too are half that of the national average.
“Untiring efforts of scientists and farmers, and investments made by the government in research and development during five-year plan periods have enabled the country to increase its production of foodgrains by four times, horticultural crops by six times, fish by nine times and egg by 27 times since 1950-51. India, today, is number one in milk production in the world, but the scenario in Jharkhand is dismal. The state needs to be self-sufficient,” he said.
Ahmed admitted that the veterinary cradle in Kanke affiliated to Birsa Agricultural University (BAU) had taken giant strides in this direction, but underscored that a lot more remained to be done.
On the sidelines, the governor released a 300-page souvenir to mark 2011 as World Veterinary Year and floated a portal on reproductive management, nutrition and insurance of cattle and poultry. The portal is available in seven languages — English, Hindi, Nagpuri, Santhali, Kurukh, Mundari and Ho.
Speaking on the occasion, agriculture minister Satyanand Jha Batul said the state was proud of BAU’s contributions in the field of agriculture and veterinary sciences. “Instead of purchasing seeds from other states, we will provide all support to farmers to produce quality seeds to boost their income,” Jha added.
BAU vice chancellor M.P. Pandey said completion of 50 years did not mean boasting of past achievements. “But the idea is to identify weaknesses and evolve effective strategies to meet future challenges,” he echoed Ahmed.
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