Establishment of Mini Incubator at Baratang by CIARI

Division of Animal Science, ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair has launched the programme on Establishment of BIOTECH KISAN-HUB funded by DBT, Govt of India with the main aim for dissemination of livestock and poultry production technologies for enhancing the farmers livelihood of Andaman Nicobar Islands. Under this programme, Mini unit of incubator of 240 eggs capacity for hatching of poultry chicks was established as community based field unit at Crafters Creek, Baratang. The functioning of incubator was inaugurated by Mr.T.Sathis Kumar, Councillor, Crafters Creek on 27.04.2022. Dr.T.Sujatha, Sr.Scientist& Principal Investigator demonstrated the operation of mini incubator and she narrated the importance and benefits of the mini incubator in their area. The incubator is of paramount important for the area since farmers have only desi poultry and is very much need of the hour to increase the desi egg and chick production to improve their livelihood. The unit will be immensely benefitting those resource poor farmers for chicks. A total of 21 farmers in the programme were awareness on the success of mini incubators that are being used in other parts of these Islands. Collection of hatching eggs on community basis and hatching them at community based mini incubator will increase the number of desi chicks and desi eggs in that area. It is a specific rural poultry production program, to meet the requirements of the rural farmers for rural chicks and thereby to improve their rural poultry production. Farmers were very much delighted about the use of the mini incubator. This programme was conducted in commemoration of AzadikaAmritMahotsav- India@75 under the guidance of Dr E.B. Chakurkar, Director, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair.