Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 15: The Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, South Andaman, in association with Agricultural Technology and Management Agency (ATMA), organized a two-day Training Programme on ‘Hydroponic and Azolla’ at Guptapara Gram Panchayat, South Andaman on 13th and 15th September, 2025. The training was conducted to create awareness among livestock farmers about innovative fodder production techniques and sustainable feed resources.
A total of 38 livestock farmers actively participated in the programme. The sessions were enriched by expert inputs from resource persons including Dr. Prakash Bala, Principal Scientist, CIARI; Dr. Subhash B. Palve, Senior Veterinary Officer, Dollygunj; and Dr. Satish Kumar, Senior Veterinary Officer, Dollygunj, Dr. Lawhale Ninad Sahebrao, Senior Veterinary Officer, Manglutan, Shri. Abdul Majeed, Senior Veterinary Compounder and Ms. Shabana Kulsoom, Veterinary Compounder spoke on Various aspects related to Hydroponic and Azolla.
During the training, hydroponic fodder prepared from maize, Azolla, and stem cuttings of Hybrid Napier were demonstrated. Farmers were educated on the comparative advantages of these fodder options and were provided step-by-step guidance on establishing Hydroponic and Azolla units at the field level.
The event was also graced by Shri. Durlabh Das, Gram Pradhan of Guptapara Panchayat, who expressed gratitude to the Department for organizing such practical training programmes for the benefit of livestock farmers.
The training proved highly beneficial in promoting low-cost, high-nutrition fodder technologies, ensuring better livestock productivity and sustainability in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.