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Animal Husbandary
Fisheries
The Mizos have
traditionally three species of animals and birds which they use for their
religious ceremonies, rituals and also for their consumption of meat. These were
semi domestic mithuns, pigs and fowls. Every house hold had fowls and pigs, but
only the better off people could afford to have mithuns.
The
propagation of yorkshire (white) breed of pigs was so extensive that all the
villages have a large number of this exotic species. Similarly, in the
poultry development of the exotic species - Rhodes Island Red (RIR) and white
Leghorn, received popular acceptance.
As against the development of cattle, piggery and poultry there has been a sharp
decline in the numbers of mithuns.
Fisheries
Mizoram has about 2,000 hectare of water area under fish culture. The
state does not have much fallow water bodies which could be reclaimed for 'pisciculture'.
The existing lakes have potential for pisciculture. An age old method of fishing
followed in Mizoram is to put a barrier in the flow of a river or stream by
putting stones, felled trees, bamboos etc. and catch fish through cages put in
the openings. Now many private fisheries are coming up in the potential areas of
flowing water which can be impounded. There is good prospect of fisheries
development in the Demagiri area. Because of the Kaptai Dam in Chittagong Hill
Tracts in Bangladesh, a huge water body with abundant fish has come up in this
area.
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