Animal Husbandry

VISION OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY DEPARTMENT, LEH

In today’s increasingly sensitive and demanding environment Veterinarian /Animal Husbandry Department has to come to assume greater responsibility toward protecting animal health, conserve livestock resources and very important work to promote public health.

Human population is swelling all around us and the fact that grazing lands and pastures are badly affected, forced us to think about the future existence of our livestock. Individual animal keeping is losing pace with the modern industrialization trend and it seems quite Judicious to raise our livestock on small scales farms, rather than individual animal keeping which is still a practice of majority of people in the district. The farming of livestock in the present age has become inevitably important in so far as the disease control, prophylaxis and scientific management are concerned. The scientific farm oriented animal farming has tremendous economic boon as is evident from animal farming enterprises of the western nations.

The rich heritage in the form of Ladakhi  Yak and Bacterian Camel(double humped camel) makes Ladakh, particularly Leh district, a unique place in the country and world map.

There is no doubt that dairy and poultry farming are becoming an established industry and is providing employment to less educated, unemployed and unemployed educated youths. In order to invite the attention of public towards this sector, the department of Animal Husbandry Leh is undertaking various activities in the field, so as to make this sector a profitable and sustainable one.  In order to make dairy and poultry sector a successful venture, preliminary / basic information required by a farmer has been to rear / manage the livestocks on modern scientific lines.

Ladakh being very well suited for the cultivation of Alfa-Alfa, a leguminous, perennial fodder grass which can withstand the harsh winter climate of Ladakh. The vegetation and grazing resources are very sparse in this semi arctic desert due to very limited agriculture; the cultivation is restricted to few months in a small area so the major livelihood of the Ladakhi people comes largely from Animal Husbandry. The people of highlanders and changthang plains are maninly depend on pastoralist lifestyle which is the main activity for their livelihood unlike the otheragricultural activities.

Yak provides milk, meat and fiber besides their utility as excellent pack and transport animal in snow bound, high altitude mountains. For preserving the germplasm of the ladakhi yak, department has got a Yak Breeding Farm at Disket nubra.

Horses/ponies and Donkey are extensively used for riding as well as for transportation. They are used by people working in tourism as pack animals in trekking/hiking and also used by the paramilitary forces for transportation of supplies.

Introduction of crossbreed jersey in Leh by the department has been very successful and has brought a kind of white revolution in Leh. It has made cattle rearing very easy and highly profitable to the farmers. For preserving the genotype, department has got Zanskari Equine Breeding Farm at Chuchot.

The Double Humped camel is a major tourist attraction for camel riding in Nubra valley. Double humped camels can survive -40C to +40C and carrying a load of around 240 kg but they have reached to the stage of extinction, due to closure of silk route and negligence of its potential for use in tough terrains for riding and transportation unlike dromedary species of camel, which has found its utility for the Para Military Forces like BSF in securing /patrolling the national borders. The department has got a farm for the conservation and propogation of the same at chuchot