Shillong July 12: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma inaugurated a Vocational Training Centre of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department at Manai, Mairang in West Khasi Hills district.

Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong and Minster for Water Resources, Metbah Lyngdoh accompanied the Chief Minister.

Speaking on the occasion, Conrad said that the government has taken extra efforts to ensure that programs and policies being framed are in sync with the needs and demands of the present times, while assuring the government’s commitment towards holistic development of the state.

Terming the opening of the Vocational Training Centre a step in right direction, the Chief Minister urged farmers and the people of the area to also take advantage of the services that the institute has to offer.

“The AH & Veterinary Department under the leadership of our Deputy Chief Minister has been working really hard and planning on how it can create opportunities once the training is done. We are taking keen interest not just to inaugurate this building but to ensure that our people get livelihood and ample economic opportunities,” he said.

The Chief Minister also assured to look into the matter of shortage of manpower in the department that has resulted in some of the similar institutes in other parts of the State not being able to function to the optimum level.

Stating that more than 70 percent of the State’s economy is dependent on agriculture and allied sectors, Conrad stressed on the need to further develop this sector in order to create jobs and livelihood for the people.

Informing that Meghalaya imports 50 percent of meat from outside the state, the Chief Minister urged farmers to take advantage of the gap in demand and supply by increasing local production of meat.

He said that consumption of meat in the State is about 50000 metric tonnes and close to 50% of this requirement is imported from outside.

“There is a great opportunity for our farmers especially in rural areas to take advantage of this shortfall by increasing local production of meat”, the Chief Minister said, while talking about the global demand for ‘organic meat’ which he highlighted the immense potential that Meghalaya and its farmers have in this sector too.

“Meghalaya can play a pioneering role in the production of good quality meat and export this product to other parts of the country and even neighbouring countries. This is a sector that can transform the rural economy”, he said.

The Chief Minister also informed that the government would launch the State’s ‘Organic Milk Mission’ shortly, in order to boost organic milk production in the state.

“We have to make government services accessible to the people and creating the right programs and policies to generate opportunities and avenues for employment in rural areas will decrease migration from rural to urban,” the Chief Minister observed