Even as alleged quackery continues to influence various spheres in Uttarakhand and its public life, the State authorities are planning to increase the ‘quack’ content especially in the plains. This ‘quack’ content however will be facilitated through duck breeding farms which are proposed to be established at Gularbhoj in Udham Singh Nagar district and at landhaura in Haridwar district.
This and various other proposed work projects costing about Rs 16.30 crore for the year 2016-17 were accorded approval under the National livestock Mission. These proposals were granted approval in the meeting of the National livestock Mission, State level committee presided over by chief secretary Shatrughna Singh at the secretariat here on Tuesday.
These proposed work projects will be implemented in various parts of the State with the Union Government and State Government sharing the expenditure in the 90:10 ratio respectively.
Officials informed in the meeting that as per the proposed projects, duck breeding farms will be established at two locations in the plains of Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar districts. Each duck breeding farm will be having 115 ducks.These duck farms are expected to ‘produce’ 15,000 chicks for sale every year. In this task proposed to be implemented under the National livestock Mission, the authorities have set a target for distribution of 30,000 chicks to farmers of the State every year, said officials.
Apart from duck breeding, the other proposals which are slated to be implemented in the livestock sector include the development of sheep farm at Peepalkoti in Chamoli district and goat farm at Dunda in Uttarkashi district. Futher, as part of proposals under the mission, cattle insurance has also been proposed for implementation in all the 13 districts of the State. With the aim of encouraging rural backyard poultry activities, the authorities have also planned the setting up of a number of mother-poultry units across the State.
Officials stated that 22 mother units will be established in the State with each of the mother poultry units to be provided with 1,500 birds. In addition to this, the authorities have also planned establishment of broiler rabbit units in Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Pauri and Champawat districts.
The target set in this plan is to establish 200 such units across the State. Additional chief secretary Ranvir Singh, secretary in-charge Damyanti Dohre and other departmental officials were also among those present in the meeting.