Monday, 9 December, 2024 6:33 am
The ICAR-Directorate of Poultry Research (DPR), in collaboration with the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), Utnoor, Adilabad, organized a one-day Research-Extension-Farmers Interface Meeting on 4th December 2024, at the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Utnoor, Adilabad, Telangana. The meeting was attended by 136 backyard poultry farmers, predominantly women, along with officers from various line departments, extension officers, and other stakeholders. Farmers highlighted several challenges, including the unavailability of chicks, high feed costs, diseases such as fowl pox and cannibalism in adult birds, limited access to vaccines and veterinary support, lack of financial resources and space for proper poultry housing, predator attacks, and difficulties in marketing poultry products, especially eggs, at fair prices. Dr. M. R. Reddy, Principal Scientist, addressed health-related issues, while Dr. S. K. Bhanja, CTO, discussed management practices to tackle the challenges raised by the farmers. Dr. B. Prakash, Principal Scientist, emphasized the importance of nutrition and encouraged farmers to prepare poultry feed using locally available ingredients. Sri Sandeep Kumar, Horticulture Officer, suggested integrating poultry farming with moringa cultivation to enhance profitability. Sri Saianna, Project Director of DRDA, highlighted the role of social institutions in empowering women and promoting backyard poultry farming as a means of livelihood and nutritional security. The meeting was coordinated by Dr.Vijay Kumar, Senior Scientist, and concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. B. Prakash, ICAR-DPR, Hyderabad.
