Research on sheep, goat to gain pace at agri varsity

Our Correspondent

Palampur, September 24

CSK HP Agricultural University will speed up research work on sheep and goat. Vice-Chancellor HK Chaudhary said this while chairing a joint meeting of scientists and officers from Dr GC Negi College of Veterinary and Animal Science (COVAS) and the HP Wool Federation on Tuesday evening.

Chaudhary said that the COVAS has specialisation in preparing high quality animal feed and there was a need to establish a modern demonstration farm for sheep in the university. Similarly, a wool testing lab was also required to fetch good wool price to the sheep and goat farmers, he said. He added that he had sought financial help from the Wool Federation to establish theses facilities. He also elaborated about the high quality of meat of these animals, as they grazed in alpine pastures.

Trilok Kapoor, Chairman, HP Wool Federation, said that there were eight lakh sheep and 11 lakh goats in the state, and 20,000 families were engaged in rearing these valuable small animals. He asked the veterinary scientists to develop a vaccine for foot rot disease of small ruminants and conduct research and extension education activities. He said training for sheep and goat farmers would be organised in January and February. Mandeep Sharma, Dean, COVAS, talked about the existing research facilities in the college.