Nagaland Highest Importer of Livestock Products

Rs. 221 crore per Year

Dog Meat stall on the Local Market in Kohima, Nagaland

Kohima, May 4 : Nagaland imports animal husbandry products worth Rs 221.97 crores per annum, Sample Survey Report of 2009-10 said.

The report stated the state produce only 56 per cent of the total annual requirement of livestock products which is Rs 637.71 crores, leaving a shortfall of 43.44 per cent.

In order to overcome of this shortfall, the state import animal husbandry products worth of Rs 221.97 crores per annum, the report said.

In 2001-02, the import level was Rs 375.00 crores, however, the department could bring down the import cost to Rs 221.97 crores in 2009-10 by implementing various livestock and poultry programme in the state.

During 11th Five Year Plan, the Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry was focusing on development of piggery and poultry for meat production and infusion of superior germ-plasm of Dairy Cattle for milk production so as to narrow the gap between demand and supply of animal husbandry product, the report said.

Concern over the increasing unemployment in the state, the department said in the absence of any organised industry in the state, animal husbandry and dairying alone can absorb a large fraction of such vast number of unemployed in the state.

Livestock farming is a scientific and profitable way can play a vital role in improving the rural economy, the report maintained.

Animal husbandry practices have been playing a pivotal role in supplementing to the rural poor, apart from efficient utilisation of agriculture products and byproducts not suitable for human consumption, the report said.

This inherent aptitude of the people needs to be exploited to provide valuable animal protein essential for maintaining physical health of the people as well as to provide draft power for cultivation especially in the foot-hill areas of the state, it added.