Poultry scientists-farmers meet
KASHMIR - While the people from middle to affluent classes manage to have protein rich diet, the overwhelming majority of the rural and urban poor raise by rearing poultry in their backyards.However the system is ridden with a multitude of problems. Prof Anwar Alam, Vice Chancellor, SK University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Kashmir or SKUAST-K, although himself an agriculture engineer, today gave some thought provoking ideas to the poultry scientists while inaugurating the two day Seminar on ‘backyard poultry production: issues and strategies & poultry scientists-farmers’ meet’ at the Veterinary college at Shuhama near Alesteng.
He said backyard poultry affords nutritional security to the overwhelmingly rural poor, who cannot buy meat to meet their protein requirements. However the benefits accruing to the farmers from the otherwise low-key affair of rearing poultry in backyard need to be enhanced by techniques that could help them to use crop residues.
It is a known fact that there is a competition between human and poultry population in as far as their food and feed needs is concerned. Maize and Soya bean in particular are the two types of grains where a competition between the two exists. The scientists could think of using maize cobs as a substitute for some feed ingredients after making it palatable for poultry by using some cheaper enzymes to break Ligno-Cellulose compounds in the crop residue which otherwise goes waste or is used as fuel in hearths.
He said that Aryans on their migration reared swan, cattle and horses and poultry rearing was only a later introduction in the pastoral world of the sub continent.
Source: greaterkashmir.com
29 September 2005
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