𝐃𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲’𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐠

𝟏𝟖 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑: The Hon’ble Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock, accompanied by a team from the Department of Livestock, visited Sturgeon Farm in Harachu while en route to Sarpang. During the visit, the Secretary inspected the ongoing water irrigation works, which are currently being undertaken by Desuung and the technical staff of NRDCRLF, Haa. The team had the opportunity to observe the progress of the construction of the water source and commended the achievements made thus far.

Later in the afternoon, the Secretary and the team convened a meeting at Dekiling Gewog Centre (Sarpang) with the technical staff involved in the Rabies outbreak control in Sarpang Dzongkhag. In late June, the Sarpang Dzongkhag experienced an outbreak of Rabies, which initially occurred in Tareythang Gewog. The current campaign, led by Dr. Lungten, Regional Veterinary Officer, the Regional Veterinary Hospital & Epidemiology Centre (RVH&EC), Gelephu, in collaboration with officials from the Ministry of Health, Desuung, Dzongkhag Livestock Sector and Local Government, has made tremendous efforts to contain the disease, encompassing various tasks, including sample collection, mass dog and cat vaccination, and conducting extensive public awareness campaigns across all the Gewogs in Sarpang.

The Rabies outbreak is not only the disease outbreak handled by the RVH&EC, Gelephu in the recent times. Over the past six months, the Dzongkhag has faced challenges and encountered outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Pigs and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in Cattle, which were previously unrecorded and significantly higher compared to other Dzongkhags. During the meeting with the technical members involved in the campaign, the Secretary engaged in discussions regarding the various issues and challenges encountered in containing the disease. Furthermore, the Secretary expressed gratitude and extended appreciation for spearheading this important task, and gratitude for the hard work and perseverance demonstrated by the entire team involved in the campaign.

The Secretary is currently on a two-day visit to Sarpang, which includes visiting Umling Dungkhag, interacting with livestock and health officials involved in Rabies outbreak, and visiting livestock farms in Tareythang Gewog. Additionally, the Secretary will visit the National Piggery Development Centre (NPiDC), National Development Centre for Aquaculture (NDCA), Agriculture Research and Development Centre (ARDC) and BRECSA PMU in Bhur, and briefly stop at the National Poultry Development Centre on the way back to Thimphu.

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Yak Fiber Collection and Processing hands on Training for Extension Officials at the Yak Fiber Processing Centre in Chonaphu, Haa

July 16, 2023: A day-long training program on yak hair collection and processing took place at the Wool Processing Center in Chonaphu, Haa Dzongkhag. The training aimed to provide extension officials from highland dzongkhags and representatives from the National Highland Development Centre (NHDC) and the Department of Livestock (DoL) with practical skills to train local herders on yak hair combing, collection, transportation, sorting, grading, and processing.

The training was conducted by Ms. Nancy Johnston, an FAO consultant from the House of Tengri, a luxury fibre innovation company based in the United Kingdom. Ms. Johnston showcased samples of yak hair products from the Tengri company, demonstrating the grading system of noble fibres and displaying how high-end quality products are produced. The Department of Livestock officials learned about the significance of combing yak hair during the collection process and the importance of transferring this knowledge to local herders.

A similar training session will be conducted in Bumthang, extending the opportunity to participants from other highland dzongkhags. The training program held in Haa Dzongkhag equipped extension officials with practical skills and knowledge necessary to train herders in yak hair collection for establishing the finest quality at source, with further quality improvements at the processing stage. The upcoming training in Bumthang aims to disseminate this knowledge further, fostering the growth of the local yak fiber industry and enhancing the livelihoods of herders. Ms. Johnston emphasized the potential for the Bhutan yak fibre industry to establish a presence on the global market by incorporating traditional textiles craftsmanship, and a strong  narrative development which incorporates the richness of cultural and traditional values. With the rarity of the fiber on the global market, she also suggested branding it as noble yak fibre for ensuring a luxury marketing positioning worldwide.

 

 

DoL, MoAL

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