Around 50 students from selected schools in the region will be given ducklings to raise at their homes
The initiative will be inaugurated on Sept 20 or 22. The number of farmers that rear ducks in large numbers has come down to 100 in Kuttanad. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kochi | Silver Rate in Kochi | Bank Holidays in Kochi | Public Holidays in Kochi Stay updated with the latest Kochi news.
Five ducklings will be given to each student,” said the officer. Dr Jacob Thomas, retired animal husbandry official and former assistant director at Niranam duck farm, said lack govt support dissuades farmers from rearing ducks. Ducks are said to be natural pest controllers. But declining paddy cultivation and recurring bird flu incidents discourage farmers from adopting duck farming,” he said, calling for govt measures to conserve indigenous breeds and help farmers.
Kochi: School students in Kuttanad are now set to get first-hand experience in raising ducks. “We have collected details of high schools in the area and list of interested students to be part of the club. Govt will select the schools. Fifty students from each school will be given he ducklings sourced from the govt hatchery. “Though ducks are also active in Palakkad, Wayanad and Kannur, it is mostly confined to Kuttanad and Upper Kuttanad regions stretching across Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta. They mostly rear native breeds Chara and Chembally, which can survive extreme weather events,” saidThomas. “When farmers release hundreds of ducks to a harvested paddy field, these birds feed on pests and weeds and make the land ready for next cultivation. If they eat 500kg of waste, the birds leave behind 250kg of excrement, which is good manure. Download the TOI App.
Around 50 students from selected schools in the region will be given ducklings to raise at their homes. The move is aimed at encouraging the next generation to start duck farming, a quintessential part of the culture in Alappuzha that has been on a decline due to recurring bird flu incidents. This is first time that such poultry clubs for rearing ducks have been introduced in schools in Alappuzha.
The animal husbandry department will introduce poultry clubs in selected schools in Kuttanad in Alappuzha, where duck farming is not just a traditional livelihood but is also an integral part of the region’s culture.