Can NSPDT be the AMUL of Indian Poultry?

The Beginnings

For Dr. Harekrishna Deka, the driving force behind a remarkable grassroots poultry revolution, the seeds of his lifelong mission were sown early. He was one of ten children, growing up in the remote village of Khakharishal in Assam. Poverty was a constant companion, pushing him to the brink of abandoning his schooling.

Yet, fueled by his siblings’ encouragement and his own unyielding determination, Deka not only stayed in school but excelled, ultimately earning a veterinary degree from the College of Veterinary Science in Khanapara, Guwahati. This achievement became the launchpad for his life’s work: empowering rural communities. Equipped with specialized knowledge and a deep, personal understanding of agrarian hardships, he envisioned transforming tribal lives.

“I was born and raised in a farmer’s family in Nalbari, Assam. Like every child, I dreamed of becoming a doctor but couldn’t secure a seat. Eventually, I joined Veterinary College in Guwahati, graduating as a gold medalist,” he recounts. Opportunities abounded—government positions, competitive exams, or teaching roles. But fate had a different plan.

“I attended a campus interview for a development organization, which offered a one-year rural development internship. I was assigned to Torpa village, then in Ranchi district and now Khunti—a highly Naxal-affected area at the time.” There, under the mentorship of seasoned professionals, he immersed himself in village life, keenly observing rural economies, livelihoods, and the array of challenges they faced.

Upon completing his internship, his veterinary expertise led him to a modest poultry program in Kesla block of Madhya Pradesh’s Hoshangabad district (now Narmadapuram). “I evaluated the cooperative society model which had 150 tribal women each rearing 300 birds. Despite numerous hurdles in the system—such as optimizing production, managing diseases, ensuring biosecurity, and navigating marketing—I knew this was my calling. My role was to address these issues, expand the society and elevate it to the next level.”

Thus, his pivotal journey with the cooperative society began in 2002. Starting with critical steps like production streamlining, training, and capacity building, he and his colleagues progressively forged a successful smallholder poultry model that became a truly replicable institution.

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