Kolkata: To uplift marginal farmers, particularly the tribals in North Bengal dependent on animal husbandry for livelihood, West Bengal Livestock Development Corporation Limited (WBLDCL) has rolled out the Pig Integration Programme (PIP).
In the scheme, WBLDCL provides piglet, feed, medicine, vaccine, day-to-day technical support etc. to the tribals who then take
up rearing of the animal for six months. During this period, the animal attains 90 to 110 kg weight. It is then processed at WBLDCL’s meat plant at Phansidewa in Siliguri.
The pig farmers need not worry about the managemental procedures which are taken care of by WBLDCL’s experienced managers and trained supervisors. The farmers get growing charges at the rate of Rs 500 per month. If a farmer rears 10 piglets, he can earn Rs 5,000 per month.
“The farmers don’t have the purse strings to buy exotic piglets considering high pricing. Even if they do, marketing remains a major concern. We launched the scheme from the Maynaguri block in Jalpaiguri and recently rolled it out in Kalimpong and Alipurduar. There is a huge demand for pork in the North East. We have plans for export once the production is augmented,” a WBLDCL official said. The corporation markets its meat under the brand ‘Haringhata Meat’. It registers a huge demand for pork salami, bacon, ham, spiced sausages etc, particularly during winter. As per its estimates, the demand for pork is 2 MT weekly and the production is 1 MT.
WBLDCL is associated with poverty alleviation through different diversified projects. It started a broiler integration programme (BIP) in December 2020 and expanded the poultry business. It made BIP profitable. Poultry