India is third in egg production and fourth in chicken output Vice Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) Dr. R. Prabakaran said that veterinarians have played a major role in placing India atop the world in milk production, third in egg production and fourth in chicken meat production. He was addressing the gathering in the World Veterinary Day celebration at the Veterinary College Hospital on the Trichy Road in Namakkal on Saturday. The celebration was jointly organised by the university, the Veterinary College and Research Institute (VC&RI) and the Rotary Club of Namakkal Elite. He said that veterinarians did not stop with treating the cattle and fowls as they fine tuned the practices of farmers in rearing the cattle by improving the breeding, production, feeding, disease prevention and marketing technologies. “Increase in egg production in the State is a classic example,” he said and added that about a decade ago the State was producing close to 400 crore eggs annually. He noted that it has now increased to 1,154 crore eggs a year, of which 95 percent is produced in Namakkal. Talking about interest shown by people to rear emu, he warned them not to be carried away by the promises of firms promoting emu farming. “Demand of a product should be based on demand for its by-products such as meat and oil, whereas in emu the promotion is cyclic in which its eggs and chicks alone are promoted and is not a healthy sign,” he cautioned. He recalled that a few years ago there was a similar campaign for rearing rabbits but it failed as there was no reception for it in the market. “Promoters of the bird are not following a scientific approach for rearing the bird and so far nobody has approached TANUVAS to carry out any research on the same,” Dr. Prabakaran noted in his address. The Vice-Chancellor said that the varsity has increased the intake for Bachelor of Veterinary Science (B.V.Sc.) by 34 seats for the academic year 2012-13 – to 260 seats from 226 seats in 2011-12. Courses He said that the university would also be starting two new post graduate courses in the coming academic year. National Egg Coordination Committee's Namakkal Zone Chairman Dr. P. Selvaraj, Tamil Nadu Poultry Farmers Association President K. Nallathambi and farmers recalled the role of veterinarians in the establishment and growth of poultry industry in Namakkal. TANUVAS Controller of Exams Dr. C. Chandrahasan and VC&RI Dean Dr. K.A. Doraisamy and other also spoke. Nearly 160 dogs were vaccinated in the one-day free Anti Rabies Vaccination drive organised in connection with the World Veterinary Day.