National Agriculture Research Institute supplies animals for Wewak farms

By KU KOBILA

 

The National Agricultural Research Institute recently supplied breeding stock of goats, ducks and rabbits to the Wewak-based Foundation of Women in Agriculture Development.

The shipment consisted of six goats (five does and one buck), 14 ducks (12 females and two drakes) and nine rabbits (five females and four males).

The animals will constitute the foundation breeding stock for women groups in Maprik to promote smallholder livestock development in the area.

This will be followed by training by NARI livestock experts in the coming months.

Offspring from these animals will be distributed to other members to expand livestock raising in the area.

Chairperson of FOWIAD Monica Otto organised the procurement and shipment of animals from the Labu livestock research station as a follow-up activity from a meeting of the Momase regional research and development advisory committee with NARI researchers.

These animals will support production of quality animal products (meat, milk, egg, skin), income generation and manure to fertilise gardens.

The animals are known to thrive and perform well under PNG village conditions with minimal external inputs.

However, they need proper feeding, clean and hygienic housing and adequate water supply.

NARI will follow up progress on this project and provide training to livestock keepers.