AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

POULTRY

Poultry is kept for meat and eggs. Most of the poultry birds kept in the district are of deshi and non-descript variety. However, recently farmers were supplied a few cocks of White Leghorn variety for breeding and upgrading deshi poultry. There is no poultry experimental farm or poultry research station in the district. However, demonstration and propaganda work are carried on throughout the district by the District Animal Husbandry Officer aided by 13 veterinary-cum-extension officers for animal husbandry and subordinate staff. There are four poultry demonstration centres in the district located at Amravati, Warud, Tivsa and Achalpur. Gramsevaks also play a useful role in carrying out the propaganda and demonstration work. A poultry training centre has not yet been established in the district. There exists a scheme of granting subsidies and loans from Block Development funds to interested poultry breeders for the construction of poultry houses, purchase of necessary equipment and birds, etc. In 1960-61 loans to the tune of Rs. 5,000 were disbursed under the above scheme, in Achalpur and Chandur Railway block areas. There were no poultry breeding societies in the district. In 1960, the annual revenue from poultry amounted to Rs. 2,045.

Poultry Development.

With a view to upgrading the local non-descript poultry birds, cock of White Leghorn breed are sold on exchange basis to the poultry breeders. Chicks, two to five months old, are brought form the Central Poultry Farm, Nagpur, at four poultry Demonstration Centres which also function as Chick Rearing Centres. Through four such centres functioning at Amravati, Warud, Tivsa and Achalpur, chicks are sold to interested poultry keepers. Eggs for hatching are also supplied at these centres. Prophylactic vaccinations against "Ranikhet" and 'Fowl Pox' diseases are carried out by a team of veterinary officer and stockmen. A scheme for establishing one district poultry breeding station is under consideration. Relevant statistics regarding the progress made during the Second Five-Year Plan is given in the following statement: -

Progress recorded during the Second Five-Year Plan

There was a proposal that during the Third Five-Year Plan, a poultry breeding centre should start functioning. For this purpose it was decided to convert the Chick Rearing Centre at Amravati into a Poultry Breeding Centre. It was planned that this should provide pure-bred chicks, hens and cocks and eggs of pure-bred hens to the cultivators in the district through the remaining three chick rearing centres at Warud, Tivsa and Achalpur. Besides the foregoing, no special work has been done as far as poultry development is concerned. The poultry population of the district comprised 1,84,185 fowls and 1,434 ducks as per 1961 cattle census.

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