The ongoing livestock expo, organised under the aegis of the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), at Kamarajar Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School here, provides a deep insight into the art and science of breeding.
A Boer goat is a rare exhibit in the show, attracting a drove of curious visitors to its pen. The Boer goat, a native of South Africa, is known for its rapid weight gain and for providing quality meat, worldwide.
In India, this species is bred in limited numbers. It could be crossed with the Thalachery goats and the offspring thus obtained could have the 80 per cent characteristics — in terms of weight gain and meat quality — of the pure breed.
A total number of 80 stalls in the expo have clearly established the fact that the breeding of cattle and goat/sheep has veered from its traditional or unconventional practices to scientific methods.
A software has been developed to track every aspect of cattle and goat-bearing: right from littering to feeding, medication and so on, the activities are tracked. Since, agriculture and livestock are considered to be the backbone of the rural economy, the authorities have started paying adequate attention to adopting suitable technology to increase the yield and the characteristics of the species.
Stall for courses
The TANUVAS has set up a stall listing out the multifarious courses it is offering on animal husbandry. The show also focuses on producing value-added items from milk, such as kova , milk power and ghee.
Poultry and fish too have come to play a dominant role in providing livelihood to people. These sectors have shed their supplementary role, so far played to the agrarian economy, and have started emerging as significant economic factors.
A sort of aquarium too is on show to give a detailed account of fish species.
To prove the point that there is good money from poultry farms various dishes using chicken are being freshly prepared and sold to the visitors.
The equipment that would be essential for scientific breeding of cattle and goats/sheep are also put up in the stalls. Besides enabling the farmers and professional breeders to acquire new skils in cattle management, the expo would also help laymen to get a peep into the world of animal husbandry and also an idea of the vast multitude of the species and their commercial value.
