Shillong (Meghalaya), May 8: The Meghalaya Animal Husbandry Department and Mercy For Animals India have launched a joint drive to overhaul pig feeding and welfare practices in the state, aiming to curb disease risk and lift farm standards through science-based training.
A specialised technical session was held Wednesday at the Vocational Training Centre, Upper Shillong, bringing together veterinarians, scientists and officials to implement ICAR-National Research Centre on Pig guidelines on feeding, biosecurity and animal care.
Chief Guest Dr. V. Hynniewta, Registrar of the Meghalaya State Veterinary Council, attended alongside Deputy Director Dr. L.M. Umlong, Principal Scientist Dr. R. Thomas of ICAR-NRCP Guwahati, Assistant Director Dr. D.T. Sun, and Mercy For Animals’ Niharika Kapoor.
The training pushed for balanced, hygienic and regulated feeding systems while stressing a ban on untreated and unregulated food waste, or swill, linked to outbreaks of African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease. Sessions also covered welfare protocols, biosecurity, and integration of animal care into routine farm management.
“Integrating animal welfare into pig farming is fundamentally about ensuring that pigs live healthy, comfortable, and stress-free lives. Humane feeding and management practices must be consistently applied so every animal’s physical and behavioral needs are respected,” said Niharika Kapoor, Government Affairs Specialist at Mercy For Animals India Foundation.
Officials said the programme seeks to empower veterinarians and livestock officers to drive grassroots adoption of ICAR-recommended practices, balancing economic viability with animal well-being and reducing disease risk in Meghalaya’s growing piggery sector.
