National Livestock Survey yet to gain momentum in Kerala

Monday 16 December, 2024 | 1:37 AM

PATHANAMTHITTA: The National Livestock Survey has failed to gain momentum in the state. The training for the Kudumbashree Pashu Sakhis, who are conducting the survey, has not been completed yet. The survey officially began on October 25th at the national level. Although the survey was inaugurated in the state on the same day by taking livestock data at the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, it did not progress further after that.

In other states, livestock inspectors from the Department of Animal Husbandry have already begun their surveys. However, in Kerala, the inspectors withdrew from the survey citing heavy workload and staff shortages. As a result, 2,600 Kudumbashree workers were selected under the name "Pashu Sakhi" for the survey, but only those from the Thrissur district have completed their training so far.

The survey, which needs to be completed within four months, involves each Pashu Sakhi visiting 3,000 households. They will also visit slaughterhouses, meat processing plants, and goshalas. Information will be collected through a mobile app under the supervision of veterinary officers in each panchayat. The survey will pay eight rupees per household in rural areas and nine rupees per household in urban areas.

Objective

By preparing schemes for farmers and the dairy sector, more employment opportunities will be created in the animal husbandry sector.

Last survey conducted in 2019