Shillong, Mar 7:Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Thursday said that livestock rearing is an integral part of the rural life in the State and has played a pivotal role in supplementing the income of rural population.

Tynsong was speaking at the inaugural function of the two-day workshop on Piggery and Poultry Value Chain here.

To meet the shortage of meat production in the state, the Deputy Chief Minister urged the farmers to adopt the modern method in both rearing and breeding of pigs and poultry.

He said that the workshop would in the long run be very beneficial and helpful to the State and urged all the participants to actively take part and take back valuable inputs and suggestions rendered by resource persons during the two day workshop.

Tynsong also released the Draft Meghalaya Piggery Mission Document.

Agriculture Production Commissioner, K N Kumar informed that 75 percent in North East region consume pork but pigs are still being reared in the indigenous and non scientific manner which is not being able to meet the consumption demands of the region.

He said that the objective of the workshop is to intensify piggery in the region in a scientific manner and promote piggery and poultry value chain in the North East region.

Kumar said that the components of the workshop is to establish a value chain by creating a pool of private commercial breeders, rearing to be made scientific, artificial insemination to be encouraged and intensified, vaccination of pigs to be universally and aggressively followed, pig feeds to be produced scientifically and locally, provision of para veterinary services and pig sheds to be scientific and hygienic.