July 30, 2018

Punjab to become a top pork producer
 

The Punjab government has instituted a state-of-the-art 'Nucleus Farm' in Nabha, located within the Patiala district. The farm, meant for supplying parent stock for piglet production, is in an effort to establish Punjab as a top market pork producer.

At present, about 4,000 piglets are being supplied to farmers to help set up new pig units annually, said the Animal Husbandry Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu.

Sidhu added, "To enhance the annual income of farmers under the agricultural diversification programme, the state government has launched several initiatives to boost productivity as well as the quality of pig farms."

He also revealed that pork production in the state increased from 96,000 tonnes (2016 – 2017) to 102,000 tonnes (2017 – 2018).

"We have an estimated 817 organised pig farms in the state, which have 26,000 pigs. The total population of pigs in Punjab is around 60,000," Sidhu shared.

Now, the Animal Husbandry department is moving towards a scientific improvement direction to increase the population of pigs to meet the national and international market demands.

"To enhance the productivity and quality of pigs, a modern semen bank is also being established for scientific breeding at Nabha, which will prove to be a game changer," he stated.

Sidhu concluded, "Our aim is to produce high quality and less diseased pork for consumers all around the world."