Sri Vijaya Puram, March 2: In a significant boost to backyard poultry and piggery farming, the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services (AH&VS), Andaman & Nicobar Administration, today distributed 927 day-old chicks (including Nicobari and Broiler Quail breeds) to 19 beneficiaries and 13 piglets to 10 beneficiaries, including tribal farmers, as part of its ambitious ‘Target Two Lakhs’ poultry initiative.
This large-scale distribution is a key milestone towards the Department’s goal of supplying over 2,00,000-day-old chicks during the current financial year. The initiative aims to strengthen backyard poultry and piggery as low-investment, high-return activities for rural and tribal households, improve nutritional security through increased availability of eggs and meat, generate sustainable income, and promote self-reliance among marginal farmers across the islands.
The chicks and piglets were supplied with proper technical guidance on scientific rearing, feeding, health care, and management practices to ensure high survival rates and productivity. Priority was given to beneficiaries from remote and tribal areas to ensure equitable reach and inclusive growth. The inclusion of tribal beneficiaries in this distribution highlights the Department’s focused approach towards empowering the most vulnerable sections of society through livestock-based livelihoods.
The Department thanked all stakeholders, including hatchery staff, veterinary teams, PRI members, and farmers, for their active cooperation and reaffirms its dedication to continue mass distribution drives, infrastructure strengthening, and capacity-building programmes until the full target of 2,00,000 chicks is achieved and beyond.