NABARD and Animal Husbandry Department Conduct Awareness Camp on Livestock & Poultry Management
Sikkim, September 1, 2026: The Training & Extension Cell of the Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services Department, Government of Sikkim, in collaboration with NABARD, successfully organised an awareness camp on Livestock and Poultry Management for farmers and livestock owners.
The camp aimed to sensitise farmers on scientific livestock management, disease prevention, biosecurity, animal identification, government schemes, insurance and financial assistance available for livestock and poultry farming.
During the programme, Mr. Bijay Khawas, Assistant Director, delivered a presentation on NDLM, ear tagging of livestock, livestock registration and disease prevention, emphasising the importance of proper identification and registration of animals.
Dr. Basant Ramudamu, Joint Director, highlighted the importance of biosecurity measures and disease prevention, at the farm level and timely vaccination . He advised farmers on simple and practical measures to minimise the spread of infectious diseases and maintain healthy livestock.
Dr. Indira Subba, Additional Director, briefed the participants on various Central and State Government schemes benefiting livestock farmers. She also discussed the relevance of ethno-veterinary practices traditionally used by farmers in the field.
Representing the banking sector, Mr. Rinchen O. Kaleon, AGM, SISCO Bank, sensitised farmers on Kisan Credit Card (KCC), livestock loans, bank finance and other financial schemes available to support agricultural and livestock-based livelihoods.
Dr. Tshering zangmu Bhutia, Veterinary Officer, Samdong, spoke on livestock insurance, vaccination, prevention of mastitis in dairy cows and general animal health management. Farmers were encouraged to ensure timely vaccination and adopt preventive healthcare practices.
As part of the outreach programme, free mineral mixtures, deworming medicines and other essential veterinary medicines were distributed, benefiting more than 100 animals in the area.
The programme was attended by Mrs. Anita Chettri, Panchayat, Ward No. 1, Lingdok-Nampong GPU; Mr. Bishnu Bhakta Sharma, zilla Panchayat; and Ms. Renuka Ghimirey, Panchayat President and Dr Kertan Thapa [intern] along with farmers and livestock owners.
Addressing the gathering, Ms. Renuka Ghimirey expressed her gratitude to the Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services Department and NABARD for organising the awareness camp in the area. She highlighted the difficulties faced by farmers in accessing veterinary services due to the remote and far-flung location and requested the Department to consider providing a mobile veterinary ambulance for the benefit of the local farming community.
The awareness camp served as an important platform for direct interaction between farmers, veterinary professionals, banking representatives and departmental officials. The programme reinforced the importance of preventive animal healthcare, scientific livestock management, insurance, financial inclusion and effective utilisation of government schemes for improving the livelihood and productivity of livestock farmers.
The initiative is part of the Department’s continued efforts to strengthen veterinary extension services and bring technical knowledge, animal healthcare and government support closer to farmers, particularly those residing in remote and far-flung areas.
