Dr. V.K. Gupta

Director, ICAR-NRCP

Developing countries like India are faced with the challenge to increase the agricultural productivity not only to reduce the human hunger, but also to meet the demand for nutritious food for the growing populations. Animal husbandry is the important sub-sector of agriculture in the country, which is playing the most important role in the livelihood of rural poor. Among the animal husbandry, piggery not only acts as an insurance coverage for the rural poor, but also it can contribute significantly in narrowing the growing demand for animal protein. Pork is the most popular meat consumed in the world today and about 36 % of the world meat consumption is derived from pork and pork products. Despite the significant potential for pigs to contribute to the improvement of livelihood of rural poor and also to meet the demand for animal protein, pig population in India is considerably low. Therefore, the National Research Centre (NRC) on pig established by the Indian council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi has to undertake basic, strategic and applied research in the areas of pig production and health to evolve technologies for sustainable pig production and transfer of the technologies to the client groups to increase the pig production in the country. Techniques of modern biology such as molecular cloning of genes, gene transfer, genetic manipulation of pig, chemical and biological treatment of low quality animal feeds for improved nutritive value, genetically engineered immunodiagnostic and immunoprophylactic agents and transgenic pig etc are a reality today and are finding their ways into research and development programmes. NRC on pig has already achieved in genetic improvement of indigenous pigs through selective breeding and cross breeding, improving physiological and reproductive efficiency of pig, developing suitable techniques for early pregnancy diagnosis and pig health management and on value addition of pork etc. It is hoped that NRC on pig will be the centre of excellence on pig production and health and I am grateful to the ICAR, New Delhi for giving me the opportunity to serve this esteemed Institute as the Director from 19th January, 2021.