Port Blair, May 01: Division of Animal Science, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair has launched the programme on Establishment of BIOTECH KISAN-HUB funded by DBT, GoI with the main aim of dissemination of livestock and poultry production technologies for enhancing the farmer’s livelihood of A&N Islands.
Under this programme, a Mini-unit of incubator of 240 eggs capacity for the hatching of poultry chicks was established as a community-based field unit at Crafters Creek, Baratang.
The functioning of the incubator was inaugurated by Mr. T. Sathis Kumar, Councillor, Crafters Creek on 27th April 2022. Dr. T. Sujatha, Sr. Scientist and Principal Investigator demonstrated the operation of the mini incubator and she narrated the importance and benefits of the mini incubator in their area.
The incubator is of paramount importance for the area since farmers have only desi poultry and it is to increase the desi egg and chick production to improve their livelihood. The unit will immensely benefit those resource-poor farmers for chicks. A total of 21 farmers in the programme were aware of the success of mini incubators that are being used in other parts of these Islands.
Collection of hatching eggs on a community basis and hatching them at a community-based mini incubator will increase the number of desi chicks and desi eggs in that area. It was a specific rural poultry production programme, to meet the requirements of the rural farmers for rural chicks and thereby improve their rural poultry production.
Farmers were delighted about the use of the mini incubator. This programme was conducted in commemoration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav– India@75 under the guidance of Dr. E.B. Chakurkar, Director, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair.