The Hindu : Front Page : Now pose queries on livestock through videoconferencing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 01, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Now pose queries on livestock through videoconferencing

Shastry V. Mallady

Kiosks are going to be set up in at least 22 villages in Madurai district

MADURAI : Tele-medicine is an `in thing' in public health these days. Now catching up with that trend is a field of veterinary medicine where kiosks for livestock matters are shortly becoming a reality in at least 22 villages in Madurai district, to start with.

The Veterinary University Training and Research Centre here, a unit of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), is joining hands with Dhan Foundation to provide regular videoconferencing facility to farmers, who can now pose queries on their livestock to veterinary doctors through the kiosks.

Already `online' trials have been initiated in the villages in Melur and Kottampatti blocks and a formal launch will take place on February 16 when the TANUVAS Vice-Chancellor, N. Balaraman, visits the city.

"Through this facility, we can reach remote villages and farmers can be given all information through direct interaction with experts," says D. Kathiresan, Professor and Head of the veterinary centre in Madurai.

While the Dhan Foundation will manage the kiosks, the veterinary research centre would handle training and consultation programmes during videoconferencing sessions that are scheduled for Fridays.

According to Dr. Kathiresan, the experimental sessions have invoked an encouraging response from villagers and already their questions on livestock farming are being answered.

De-worming procedures, vaccination schedule, fodder cultivation and how to start livestock farms are some of the issues to be addressed in videoconferencing sessions.

Some of the villages to be covered are A. Vellalapatti, Chekkipatti, Soorakundu, Malampatti, Karungalakudi, Therkkutheru and Pattur.

A meeting of kiosk operators, held recently, discussed training and planning for the launch of this project.

D. Muthukumaraswamy, project executive with Dhan Foundation, said it would be a virtual classroom in veterinary treatment and farmers' groups were being mobilised to make the attempt successful.

The total number of villages targeted in the initial phase was 40, he said.

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