Prospects and Potentiality of Improving Pig Farming in North Eastern Hill Region of India: An Overview

Abstract

The North-Eastern region of India comprises of a high proportion of tribal people and pig rearing is an integral part of their way of life since time immemorial. The scope for piggery production has high potential, because of the food habit of the inhabitants, being mostly non –vegetarian. Non-existence of properly defined production practices, organized breeding programmes, high cost of feed, lack of appropriate marketing systems, lack of finance, non-availability of quality piglets, lack of knowledge on scientific methods of pig farming and lack of timely health care and vaccination facilities are the main constrains in improvement. It is revealed that unemployed educated youth, retired persons from the affluent families / societies have taken up this venture as means of their livelihood / occupation or as subsidiary income generation.