Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana inaugurated Regional Agriculture & Pashu Palan Mela on 21st September 2019. Capt. Amrinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab was chief guest of the mela. S. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Cabinet Minister, Cooperation and Jail, S. Ravneet Singh Bittu, MP, Ludhiana also accompanied him. Sh. Suresh Kumar, CPS to CM, Sh. Karan Avtar Singh, Chief Secretary and Sh. Viswajeet Khanna, Additional Chief Secretary also graced the occasion.
While addressing the media CM said that GADVASU and PAU both the universities are doing well for the farmers of Punjab. He said that the institutes are doing farming research according to the need of the hours. He mentioned that shrimp farming research and experiments are converted into excellent results. Farmers are earning great profits. He also showed his interest in different livestock species and inquired about their production and management. CM said that processing in the meat sector is also very beneficial for the farming sector and industry. He said that sexed semen is the need of the time and it may revolutionize livestock sector in a modern and futuristic way.
Dr. Amarjit Singh Nanda, Vice-Chancellor, GADVASU said that we are promoting scientific and planned livestock rearing, so our mela slogan is also based on this objective 'Suchaja Pashu Palan Apnao, Sehatmand ate Khushaal Samaj Banano' means 'Prosperity and Health Through Better Livestock Production'.He said that we are conducting a number of efforts to explore the new avenues in livestock. He said that fish, pig and goat farming are very profitable ventures if we develop in scientific manner as well as poultry is also very commercialized now a days. Value additions of products also provide add on profit in comparison to conventional livestock professions. Dr. Baldev Singh Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, members Board of Management, GADVASU also witnessed the occasion.
Dr H. K. Verma, Director of Extension Education revealed that Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India through its Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare has allocated Northern region mela to GADVASU, Ludhiana. This fair attracted farmers, universities, institutions, private firms, Line and development Departments and other stakeholders from northern states Union Territories of J & K, Ladakh and Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, U.P., UttraKhand, Bihar and Rajasthan. During the fair, about ten institutes of State Agriculture and Veterinary universities, ICAR put up exhibition & shared all their technologies.
He informed that large number of people showed their interest in taking up goat, pig and fish farming and especially enquired about their training programmes. University publications on different subjects of livestock farming were also available. Different Departments of University provided useful literature to the farmers. Special interactive session on livestock rearing in the scientific way was organised consisting of live lectures form experts, questions and answer from participants.
Various departments of College of Vety Science put up their stall in the Mela and tried their best to transfer valuable inputs and recommendations to the farmers. The excellent germplasm of the University such as Cows, Buffaloes, Goats, Pigs, Poultry and Quails were demonstrated to the livestock farmers. The experts delivered talks on the various aspects of livestock, poultry and fish farming and the mechanism and procedures to overcome the common problems faced by them. Live demonstrations on the various aspects along with sale of milk testing kit, Mastitis Diagnosis kit, teat dip practice and acaricide drug application were also demonstrated to the farmers.
An earnest endeavour by the College of Fisheries was the stall having various carp fishes, ornamental fish, Shrimp farming, azolla, duckweed cultivation and integration of fish farming with other livestock farming. People inquired about Fisheries profession, ornamental fish & saline water fisheries. Value added products of this college were also displayed on their stall for sale.
Different mouth watering vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies like Sweetened and Salted lassi, Flavoured milk, Yoghurt, Sweets, Whey drink, Paneer, Milk cake, Dhoda barfi, Meat patties, different types of Meat pickles prepared by College of Dairy Science & Technology and the Department of Livestock Products Technology were available for sale. Meat cutlets, Non-veg Keema Smaosa, fibre rich meat biscuits were main attractions in the mela.
Enormous number of livestock farmers visited the stall put up by the Animal Nutrition Department to purchase the area specific mineral mixture, mineral mixture for pigs By–pass fat and uromin lick prepared by the University which is sold at a very nominal rate to the farmers. Different Self-Help Groups trained by Vet Varsity also put up their value added products for depiction, exhibition and sale. This has evoked excellent response among the aspiring farmers and visiting rural youth.
Farmers showed great interest in university publications. Directorate of Extension Education has published a number of books in simple regional language on very low price. Farmer showed keen interest for registering their name for monthly magazine ‘Vigyanak Pashu Palan’.
All the leading Veterinary Pharmaceuticals companies, Dairy & livestock related equipments, feed related factories put their stalls in exhibition. The departments like Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries of Punjab State put up their stalls in the Mela for demonstrating their activities. Different livestock associations established under the guidance of Veterinary University also put up their stalls for enrolling the members.
The Mela allures thousands of farmers from all the nook and corner of Punjab along with farmers from neighbouring states. Mela was also attended by dignitaries, Officers, heads of departments, faculty, students and staff. The Regional Agriculture & Pashu Palan Mela will be held for three days (21, 22 and 23 September 2019) all the departments of the university and participating national institutes will showcase their technology and knowledge on all the days till Monday.