Dzongu poultry farmers provided Vanaraja chicks

MANGAN, 25 July:  The Animal Husbandry Department organized a programme for distribution of month-old Vanaraja pullets/ chicks for backyard poultry farming on 24 July.
There were 29 beneficiaries from Dzongu constituency Watershed areas under Production system & Micro-Enterprise component of Integrated Watershed Management programme-I, North district, funded by the Department of Forest, Environment & Wildlife Management.
The programme was attended by area MLA, Deputy Speaker Sonam Gyatso Lepcha as chief guest accompanied by the District Collector (North), TN Kazi and other district officials.
Joint Director [North], Dr. SK Subba explained about the scheme while the Deputy Director, Dr. KT Bhutia informed that out of 85 beneficiaries earmarked to be covered under the scheme, 29 beneficiaries were provided 30 Vanaraja pullets in the first phase of the programme and that the balance stock would be provided to them in the next phase.
As envisaged in the project, each beneficiary is to be provided with 50 Vanaraja chicks/pullets to promote sustainable source of livelihood in the identified Watershed areas. Officials of the A.H.L.F & V.S department informed that the day old chicks were raised in the departmental farm in Chanday for about a month with brooding and vaccination facilities in order to curtail the mortality percentage and achieve optimum survival of the poultry birds at the farmer’s backyard.
Before handing over the chicks, the farmers were provided training on poultry farming like construction of poultry shed, care and management by the resource persons, Dy Director Dzongu, Dr. CP Rai while Dr. Dichen Ongmu Kaleon, Dy Director Mangan gave the training on disease management and precautionary measures.
The chief guest, in his address, appealed to all the beneficiaries to make proper use of the scheme and develop it as a source of income.