Annual goat improvement meet
Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, hosted the 22nd Annual Group Meeting of AICRP on goat improvement.
Dr Raghavendra Bhatta underscored the nation's high protein requirements and the growing preference for goats due to their climatic resilience
The meeting was inaugurated by Deputy Director General (Animal Science), ICAR, New Delhi, Dr Raghavendra Bhatta, at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.
As the chief guest of the event, Dr Bhatta underscored the nation’s high protein requirements and the growing preference for goats due to their climatic resilience. He said goat meat was gaining popularity in metro cities as it is lower in fat compared to sheep meat.
He called for further studies on the medicinal properties of goat milk, which holds great potential for human health. Vice-Chancellor Naveen Kumar presided over the meeting. He said livestock was a vital source of income across all agro-climatic zones in the state.
Kumar expressed concern over the declining growth rate in the small ruminant sector, noting that goats had become more popular than sheep in recent years.
Kumar advocated for a client-based approach to cater to the diverse goat-rearing patterns in the state, and emphasised integrating goat farming with natural farming practices. Guest of Honour Dr GK Gaur, ADG (AP&B), ICAR, New Delhi, also shared his views during the event.
Dr MK Chatli, Project Coordinator-cum-Director, Central Institute for Research on Goats, shared the overview of the AICRP on Goat Improvement running in different centres all over India.
Dr Ravindra Kumar, Dean College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, welcomed the dignitaries and delegates.
