Awareness Camp-cum-Incentive Distribution Held at Gya-Meru.

Awareness Camp-cum-Incentive Distribution Held at Gya-Meru.
Gya-Meru, Leh | 22 September 2026: The Department of Animal Husbandry, UT Ladakh, in collaboration with ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (ICAR-NRCE), Bikaner, organized an Awareness Camp-cum-Incentive Distribution Programme at Gya-Meru today to promote equine conservation, scientific livestock management and sustainable livelihood opportunities for farmers. The programme was attended by Dr. Stanzin Rabgias, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry; Dr. Tsewang Dorjay, Livestock Development Officer; representatives of the Gya-Meru Farmers Producers organization; Goba and local farmers.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Shri Urgain Phunstog, President, Gya-Meru FPO, who welcomed the dignitaries, departmental officers and participating farmers. He expressed appreciation for the continued support being extended by the Department of Animal Husbandry towards livestock development in the area. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Tsewang Dorjay highlighted the importance of preserving Ladakh’s equine population, which forms an integral part of the region’s heritage and livelihood system. He informed the gathering about the efforts undertaken by the Department of Animal Husbandry in facilitating the registration and establishment of Ladakh’s first livestock-based FPO at Gya-Meru. He highlighted that the FPO has now commenced milk collection, providing an additional source of income to participating farmers.
Dr. Dorjay also elaborated on the FPO’s future activities, including milk processing, value addition, collective input procurement and marketing, and urged members to actively participate in making the FPO self-sustainable and a model livestock-based FPO for Ladakh. He encouraged farmers and unemployed youth to explore dairy and allied livestock activities as avenues for self-employment.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Stanzin Rabgias, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry, Ladakh, appreciated the FPO’s initial achievements, particularly the increase in milk collection from around 80 litres to approximately 300 litres per day within a few years, and the income generated by farmers through milk sales. He assured the farmers of continued departmental support for the expansion and strengthening of the FPO. He further assured the gathering to make equine feed available to farmers at subsidized rates, thereby supporting equine rearers and promoting better nutritional management of equines. He also emphasized the importance of scientific breeding, including appropriate selective and cross-breeding programmes, for improving livestock productivity.
Shri Nawang Tander, representative of Meru, expressed gratitude to the Department of Animal Husbandry & Fisheries, UT Ladakh, and ICAR-NRCE for organizing the awareness programme and for their continued support to the farming and equine-rearing community. He appreciated the Department’s efforts in facilitating the establishment of the first livestock-based FPO of Ladakh at Gya-Meru and encouraged farmers to actively participate in its activities. He urged the FPO to move towards milk processing, value addition and development of niche livestock products to enhance farmers’ income and create a distinct identity for Gya-Meru products. He also appealed to farmers to make full use of the various schemes and technical support being provided by the Department. The programme concluded with the distribution of pelleted cattle feed among the participating farmers as an incentive and support measure for livestock development.
The event served as an important platform for interaction between the Department, technical institutions, the FPO and local farming communities, with emphasis on equine conservation, scientific livestock management, dairy development, collective marketing and sustainable livelihood generation in Gya-Meru.