Sikkim Milk drives grassroot capacity building

GANGTOK:The Sikkim Milk Union is now focusing on capacity building of its societies for effective dairy enterprise management at village level. In one such effort, the Sikkim Milk is sending 17 selected representatives from various village milk societies for training on “Artificial Insemination and Veterinary First Aid”, as per a press communique received from the Managing Director of Sikkim Milk Union.
. This training programme is to be conducted at Eastern Regional Demonstration and Training Centre of the National Dairy Development Board. An orientation programme for these participants was organized at Sikkim Milk Head Quarters, Gangtok on 30th May. The Assistant Manager (Inputs), Mr. A.P. Sharma and the Veterinary Officer, Dr. Neel Kamal provided necessary orientation for attending the programme to the participants.
The Managing Director, while addressing the participants stated that this investment is being done by the Sikkim Milk with the expectation that the participants learn from this programme and apply their learning for betterment of the production of high yielding cows through cross breeding in the state. The participants were told about the significance of this programme for dairy development in the state and thus advised to learn thoroughly the techniques and skills for artificial insemination and veterinary first aid. The programme will be conducted by the technically qualified personnel at Eastern Regional Demonstration and Training Centre of the National Dairy Development Board for 45 days duration at Matigara, Siliguri. On completion of the training, the Sikkimilk will provide necessary assistance such as liquid nitrogen container and other necessary equipments free of cost to the trained persons to implement and apply the knowledge and skill learnt in the training. The Animal Husbandry, Livestock and Veterinary services department will also provide necessary support for liquid nitrogen and semen straws to the participants while practicing the same. The training is scheduled to be conducted between 4th June – 20th July 2007 at NDDB regional centre, Matigara, Siliguri. The training centre will provide both theoretical and practical skill and knowledge so as to enable the participants to practice the same in their milk societies at village for dairy development through cross breeding. Six more participants are being sent by the Sikkimilk to a programme on Artificial Insemination to be organized by the Animal Husbandry Department. It is expected that these participants will take care of the breeding and veterinary first aid need of the milk cooperative societies at village level to a greater extent, and thus help in overall dairy development in the state.