Ethno-veterinary pig rearing practices amongthe major communities in Dhemaji district of Assam

Abstract

Pig rearing is a vital component of livelihood and cultural identity in Northeast India, particularly in floodprone districts like Dhemaji of Assam. The present study was undertaken to document and analyze traditional pig husbandry practices across six major ethnic communities namely Mising, Deori, Sonowal Kachari, Hajong, Boro, and Ahom. Using participatory rural appraisal, focus group discussions, and structured interviews with 180 farmers, information was collected on indigenous practices of housing, feeding, and ethno-veterinary healthcare of common pig breeds viz. HDK-75, crosses of Large White Yorkshire, Large Black, Ghungroo and local pigs. Roof and floor type along with housing material used under housing practices, feeding criteria and types of feed ingredients, under feeding managements, ethno-veterinary practices their local name, scientific name, preparation method, route of
administration, dosage, effectiveness and adoption % were the parameters that have been recorded under the study. Results revealed a wide range of context-specific strategies/ practices that were low-cost, eco-friendly, and welladapted to the flood-prone agro-ecology. Bamboo-walled pens with thatched roofs (86.67% adoption) and deeplitter systems using paddy straw (68.89%) were the common housing practices. Feeding boiled tubers and other root crops (93.33%) with rice and kitchen leftovers (90.56%) were the dominated feeding practices, supplemented with banana pseudostem and traditional fermented rice-beer dregs. Ethno-veterinary practices were diverse. Twenty four medicinal plant species were identified for treatment. Lasia spinosa was used for dysentery (97.22% adoption) and Mikania micrantha for piglet diarrhoea (89.44%). These practices were very effective under resource-limited and disaster-prone conditions. The findings highlighted the significance of documenting Indigenous Technical
Knowledge (ITK) to preserve cultural heritage, validate local innovations, and design location-specific interventions that integrated traditional wisdom with modern piggery management for sustainable rural livelihoods.