Improvement of Livelihood of Tribal Families through Scientific Backyard Piggery Farming

Backyard piggery rearing has always been an excellent enterprise which can be a feasible means for curtailment of poverty and unemployment in tribal belt. Almost every household in Chandel district is already in traditional backyard piggery for their personal consumption, but remunerative returns is still beyond the reach of the farmers. In this regards, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Chandel identified the existing technological gaps in and around the villages by conducting various PRAs, field visits and diagnostic visits to the existing traditional piggery units and mobilised the farmers to replace the existing local pigs with improved cross breed Hampshire pigs which would be highly profitable as well rewarding. Due to the high proximity of the Chandel district to international border, the local pigs are highly susceptible to numerous heat and cold stress induced parasitic infections and non-specific viral/bacterial fever affecting their body growths well as high mortality rates as a result of which pig farmers often incurred huge losses. Also, low feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a common trait in the traditional local pig breed. The cross breed Hampshire pigs were found to be resistant to heat stress induced parasitic infections of skin and gastro intestine & non-specific viral/bacterial fever, showed better FCR and impressive body weight gain (105-110 kg/pig in 9 months) as compared to 48-50 kg in traditional pigs. In order to improve the skills and technical knowhow of these farmers, several training and capacity building programmes were held. They were trained on various aspects of scientific piggery farming along with provision of all the necessary inputs for the same. Being guided and nurtured by the KVK experts, a huge tremendous and fantastic change was seen in the life of these farmers. Farmers who were earlier having a meagre income are now not only earning around Rs. 112875 per unit with a B:C of 2.49 on an average but are also enjoying a good social status. The successful farmers are now congregated and have pooled in their activities in the form of a Self Help Group.