Eyeing the 2018 assembly election, the Meghalaya cabinet today approved an ambitious piggery and livestock mission 2022 aimed at benefiting nearly two lakh families at a cost of over Rs 1088 crore.
"We have approved the proposal of the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department for implementing the livestock mission in the state," Chief Minister Mukul Sangma announced after a cabinet meeting held here.
The cabinet has also approved the target of the department to cover 50,000 households beginning this year at a cost of Rs 217.25 crore per year, he said.
A Meghalaya State Piggery and Livestock Development Society (MSPLDS) was also approved for implementation of the Mission for a period of five years from 2017-2022, which will coincides with the 50th year statehood celebration.
Taking into consideration that 80 per cent of the total population depends on agriculture, the chief minister said the mission is aimed at taking care of households considered at the bottom 20 per cent from the socio-economic census besides creating opportunity for willing partners/enterpreneurs who will be credit linked.
Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Minister HDR Lyngdoh said 1.95 lakh beneficiaries is targeted under the programme which will not only address the demand and supply gap in meat production but will to a great extent reduce rural to urban migration.
Although the programme covers all livestock farming, special emphasis and preference will be given to piggery, he said.
Asked on the funding of the programme, the chief minister said that the funding will be done on a convergence mode taking advantage of the MNREGA too.
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