Suchergebnisse

This report presents the results of a study which appraised the pig sub-sectors of three selected districts in Nagaland state, Northeast India. It synthesises the results from the three districts - Dimapur, Mon and Phek, and a market study in Kohima, draws conclusions and makes recommendations for research and development (R&D) interventions. To ensure consistency and comparable results, the same methodology was used in each of the district appraisals in Nagaland and in a similar study carried out in five districts of Assam and in Guwahati, Assam's capital. The report is divided into five main parts. Part one is introduction. Part two looks into Nagaland, livelihoods and the pig sub-sector. It discusses rural economy and the role of pigs. Part three discusses marketing of pigs and consumption of pork. Topics of discussion include prices of pork and factors affecting demand, price trends, level of consumption, future demand, current supply chain of pigs, and pork, output market, input market, projections of demand and supply of pork, food safety issues and main issues in consumption and marketing. Part four deals with pig production systems and discusses ethnic and socio-economic distribution, production systems and their classification, breeding and reproductive management, management of feeding, health management, and main issues in production systems. Part 5 summerises policy and institutional issues including regulatory environment, government and donor participation in the pig sub-sector, delivery of livestock services, and main policy and institutional issues.

Traditional (informal) milk market accounts for 97 percent of fresh milk supply I Assam and attempts to establish dairy cooperatives have had limited success. In areas with relatively poor market access, these informal markets represent the only market opportunity for dairy farmers. However, widespread concerns about milk safety and quality have led to decision makers and government support services to ignore or penalize the traditional milk sector. A series of studies among milk value chain actors was conducted to better understand the milk sector in Assam, assess the risk to human health posed by the traditional milk sector, and develop an action plan for improving the performance of the traditional milk sector. Key findings of the studies are: (1) most milk samples do not meet microbiological standards; (2) adulteration of milk is widespread but does not appear to represent a risk to human health; (3) milk handling practices are very poor and is associated with low levels of food safety; and (4) only a minority of milk is pasteurized, and while this does reduce the level of bacterial count, it does not guarantee absence of adulteration or compliance with standards. The risk assessment of the dairy supply chain suggests the following key results: (1) the majority of milk sampled in urban Assam did not meet local standards and may present a risk to public health and (2) formal milk outlets are no better than informal milk outlets in terms of the level of compliance with milk quality standards. Opportunities to potentially improve food safety in traditional milk markets are thus possible and the most promising intervention is some form of certification scheme involving training of informal milk vendors in milk handling.

Brucellosis is an important zoonosis worldwide. In livestock, it frequently causes chronic disease with reproductive failures that contribute to production losses, and in humans, it causes an often-chronic febrile illness that is frequently underdiagnosed in many low- and middle-income countries, including India. India has one of the largest ruminant populations in the world, and brucellosis is endemic in the country in both humans and animals. In November 2017, the International Livestock Research Institute invited experts from government, national research institutes, universities, and different international organizations to a one-day meeting to set priorities towards a "One Health" control strategy for brucellosis in India. Using a risk prioritization exercise followed by discussions, the meeting agreed on the following priorities: collaboration (transboundary and transdisciplinary); collection of more epidemiological evidence in humans, cattle, and in small ruminants (which have been neglected in past research); Economic impact studies, including cost effectiveness of control programmes; livestock vaccination, including national facilities for securing vaccines for the cattle population; management of infected animals (with the ban on bovine slaughter, alternatives such as sanctuaries must be explored); laboratory capacities and diagnostics (quality must be assured and better rapid tests developed); and increased awareness, making farmers, health workers, and the general public more aware of risks of brucellosis and zoonoses in general. Overall, the meeting participants agreed that brucellosis control will be challenging in India, but with collaboration to address the priority areas listed here, it could be possible.