Bodoland Pig, Livelihood missions key poll planks ahead of BTC polls

As the election nears for the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), the incumbent government’s two flagship schemes — the Bodoland Pig Mission and the Bodoland Livelihood Mission — are going to play crucial role in the electoral battle.

The Bodoland Pig Mission aims to reduce pork imports by 70 percent in five years and inject Rs 500–600 crore annually into the rural economy.

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The Pig Mission was aimed at making the region self-reliant in pork production by promoting scientific pig rearing, setting up breeding centres, fattener farms, slaughterhouses, and cold storage facilities.

BTR consumes over 25,000 metric tonnes of pork annually, while local production meets less than 40 percent of demand. The Mission targets daily production of 1 lakh kg of pork.

The Bodoland Territorial Council has signed agreements with the Danish Consortium of Academic Craftsmanship (DCAC) and Programma Uitzending Managers (PUM), Netherlands, for training, breed improvement, and establishing the region’s first nucleus breeding farm at Dakhin Maithabari, Baksa.

Training has been provided to 115 farmers, with 30,000 farmers targeted under fattener farms. Biosecurity kits and doorstep veterinary services are being supplied to counter African Swine Fever.

The Bodofa Livelihood Mission focuses on cluster development, farmer producer organisations, and multiple income sources.

It covered 126 FPOs with over 6,000 farmers and has created dairy clusters in Udalguri, Baksa, and Kokrajhar.

Scientific goat rearing support has been extended to over 500 farmers, while 300 lead organic farmers are being trained to promote organic practices.

The Mission is also developing value chains in agarwood, mushroom, and spices, with 18,000 families targeted under agar cultivation.

Nurseries for certified saplings of mango, guava, and litchi have been established. Financial support of Rs 100 lakh has been extended for micro and small industries through the Bodoland Trade and Industrial Development Corporation Limited.