Bareilly: An Entrepreneurship Development Programme on Animal Feed Technologies was organised jointly by the Agri-Business Incubation (ABI) Centre and the Department of Animal Nutrition at the ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (ICAR-IVRI), Izatnagar.
The programme aims to provide farmers, livestock owners, youth and aspiring entrepreneurs with technical and business knowledge on scientific animal feed production, balanced feed management, preparation of quality feed using locally available resources and establishing enterprises based on animal feed technologies.
Dr Roopsi Tiwari, Joint Director (Extension Education) at ICAR-IVRI, said scientifically formulated balanced feed can improve animal health and productivity while also contributing significantly to higher incomes for livestock farmers. She said an important feature of the programme would be interaction with successful entrepreneurs and opportunities for participants to learn from their experiences.
Participants will also receive guidance from experts on setting up enterprises, financial management and available credit facilities. Information about ICAR-IVRI’s digital services, mobile applications, educational videos, podcasts and online courses will also be provided to enable participants to continue accessing scientific knowledge and institutional resources after completing the training.
Dr Tiwari emphasised that the programme is intended not only to impart scientific and technical knowledge but also to help participants understand how knowledge can be converted into viable business opportunities. Participants were encouraged to interact with scientists, ask questions and explore ways of adopting the technologies in their respective areas to establish sustainable enterprises.
Dr Narayan Dutta, Head of the Department of Animal Nutrition, said there is considerable potential to reduce livestock-rearing costs and increase farmers’ incomes through the scientific and efficient use of locally available resources.
He stressed that animal feed production involves much more than simply using agricultural products. Understanding the appropriate proportions of ingredients, nutrient requirements and processing technologies is essential for preparing balanced feed and building a successful enterprise.
During the training, participants will receive expert lectures and practical guidance on preparing balanced rations for different categories of livestock, scientific utilisation of feed grains and other available resources, feed processing, nutrient availability, probiotics and prebiotics, mineral mixtures, mycotoxin management, and issues related to animal health and productivity.
Programme Co-Principal Investigator Dr M.K. Singh, who conducted the programme, said participants would be introduced to the nutritional requirements of livestock, the importance of balanced animal feed, production of different types of feed and feed supplements, nutrient balancing and modern animal feed technologies.
He said scientists and subject experts from different departments of ICAR-IVRI would provide training under the programme. The training module covers topics including balanced rations for dairy enterprises, maintenance of feed plants and related equipment, feed ingredients and packaging, management of metabolic disorders in dairy animals, production and preservation of green fodder, silage and hay preparation, milk processing and value addition, the importance of minerals in animal feed, non-conventional feed resources and strategies for reducing methane emissions.
The programme will also cover poultry economics and entrepreneurship, feed formulation for different categories of poultry, selection and breeding of dairy animals, ration formulation for different classes of livestock and the impact of feed processing on nutrient availability.
In addition to technical training, participants will receive practical guidance on feed manufacturing, product quality, packaging, marketing and strategies for successfully establishing and operating an animal feed business.
Senior scientist Dr Anju Kala and Dr Sagar Chand, along with officials and staff members of the Department of Animal Nutrition and the Agri-Business Incubation Centre, were present on the occasion.
Reported by Akhilesh Chandra Saxena, Bareilly
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