Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 9 : Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday underlined the importance of biological interventions for improving livestock productivity and agriculture produce to benefit the society at large. He said that application of modern technology in the field of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and allied activities promises path breaking achievements in the holistic growth and development of these sectors.
Interacting with the team of scientists of SKUAST who achieved the historic breakthrough in creating Pashmina Sheep-Goat clone ‘Noori’, the Chief Minister said that Government was more than willing to provide all help to the Agriculture University to utilize the cloning technology for the benefit of the society at large.
“Your achievement is praise worthy and I would like that your research and technical work would continue to achieve new highs. I hope your this achievement would be first of many such successes”, he told the team of scientists led by Vice Chancellor, SKUAST, Kashmir, Dr. Tej Partap.
Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Minister for Animal Husbandry, Aga Syed Rouhalla, Minister of State for Rural Development Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas, Commissioner Secretary Animal Husbandry, Shaleen Kabra and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
The team of scientists who cloned ‘Noori’ comprising of its leader and Principal Investigator Dr. Riyaz Ahmad Shah, Dr. M. R. Fazili, Dr. Hilal Ahmad Khan, Dr. Masood Hussain, Dr. Nazir. A. Ganai, Dr. Syed Hilal and Firdous Khan (SRF) were felicitated by the Chief Minister on the occasion.
Asking various questions about the utilization of cloning technology in improving the quality and numbers of livestock in the State, the Chief Minister said that SKUAST should also focus attention on cloning of rear animals like Hangul, Cheeru, Camel and similar other endangered species of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Government wants to own and support projects of SKUAST aimed at application of technology to upgrade and increase the quality production of animals for the benefit of the society”, he said and asked the Agriculture University to formulate proposals in this regard in collaboration with the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department for State Government for sponsorship.
The Vice Chancellor SKUAST, Kashmir apprised the Chief Minister that the next step of the team associated with cloning of sheep-goat ‘Noori’ is to produce herd of cloned sheep-goats. “This would lead in producing greater numbers and good quality of Pashmina sheep-goats”, he said, adding that University is looking forward to upgrade and rear Pashmina goats at Chang-Thang in Ladakh on modern technological lines. He said the Agriculture University is also working to utilize modern technology for making fodder available to the Pashmina goats population during the winter season easily and smoothly.
He said that cloning technology can also be utilized to produce heavy weight sheep to meet the mutton requirement of the consumers in the State indigenously to a greater extent.
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