Punjab is all set to hold five day Progressive Punjab National Livestock Championship and Expo at Sri Muktsar Sahib from 8 to 12 January 2016 and efforts are being made to attract peasantry, youth and international tourists to this most colourful and vibrant show on the pattern of Pushkar Mela. The department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development & fisheries is organizing this mega event with the help of Department of Rural Development and Panchayats .Deputy Commissioner of Sri Muktsar Shaib Mr. Jaskiran Singh , Mr, H.S. Sandha , Director, Animal Husbandry, Inderjit Singh ,Director, Dairy Development Department today reviewed the preparation of Expo in which district authorities of departments of concerned departments participated.
Livestock farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pardesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajsthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pardesh, and Utter Pardesh etc will be participating in the event. Prizes worth crores will be awarded to the winners. Once started from district level, now it had eventually gained national hue and now international delegates are participating in this mega event turning it into Pushkar of Punjab, the DC added.He added that the championship will be held for five days in wherein milking competition of cow, buffaloes and goats and breed competitions of horses, cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, dogs, turkey and poultry are being conducted. Owners of winner animals in milking and breed competitions will be given prizes and certificates.
H.S. Sandha, Director for Animal Husbandry said that such competitions help in increasing the milk yield of the state and inculcates habit in people to keep animals of best breed. According to cattle census of 2012 there are 24.30 lac cows and 51.52 lac buffaloes in Punjab. Total milk production of Punjab is 103,5 lac tones in 2014-15. Instead of 2% of population of India, Punjab is producing 8 % of total milk production of India. Per Capita availability of Milk is 993 grams which is almost thrice the national per capita availability of milk.Sandha said that as many as 67 different competitions of Horses, Cattle, Buffaloes, Sheep, Goats, Dogs, Camel, Turkey and Poultry will be conducted in 8th National Livestock Championship and Expo-2016 to be organized from 08 -12 January 2016 at Sri Mukatsar Sahib this year. Breed competitions of dogs will be held on 8th January 2016. In the milking competitions the murrah and nili raavi buffaloes, HF cross, jersey, sahiwal and other indigenous cows and goats would participate from 10-12 January 2016.Breed competitions of Horses, Cattle, buffaloes, Sheep, Goats, dogs, camel, Turkey and Poultry.
He said that on 9th January 2016 Polo matches will be organized at village Charhewan after so many years in Punjab. Besides this other equestrian events i.e. Flat race, Rabia race, Tent Pegging and ferrier competitions will be held at village Charhewan and in Stadium from 9 to 12 January.2016.Dances and decoration competitions of camel and horses will also be organized. he further said that seminars on the subjects related to Animal husbandry, dairy, piggery, goatry, indigenous breeds and food processing will be organized in morning and evening sessions in all the five days and the queries of livestock farmers will be answered on the spot. Punjab has vast opportunities in pig and goat rearing sector and by adopting it as main or allied business, farmers can get handsome returns from it. In this championship special emphasis will be given to indigenous breeds, piggery and goatry.He said that cultural programme shall be presented daily in the evening from 4.00 to 5.00 pm. The event also has an cultural contests and various folk dances and songs during the championship. On Jan 12 the Nihang Singh would display horse riding and martial arts skills. Besides these folk dances of different states, cultural programs and motorcycle shows shall also be part of the show. On Jan 12 the Chief Minister S. Prakash Singh Badal would honour the winners with prizes and certificate