India can lead the world in dairy sector: Agriculture Minister
Updated: Nov 10, 2014 11:49:24am
New Delhi, Nov 10 (KNN) Union Agriculture Minister, Radha Mohan Singh has said that India has the potential to lead the world in the dairy sector, as long as the growth bottlenecks are cleared, while stressing the need to involve women in the process.
Addressing the Golden Jubilee celebrations of National Dairy Development Board in Anand, Gujarat yesterday, he said that the government is set to remove all bottlenecks and inertia in the growth of the sector to further emulate the growth of Gujarat in the whole country, according to an official release.
Singh said that the value of milk produced in India is now more than the value fetched by rice/paddy. “We are the biggest producer of milk in the world and even export skimmed milk powder whereas I remember, as a kid in school, consuming British milk powder in the 1960s.”
Pointing to the government’s initiative to protect indigenous breed of cow, the Agriculture Minister said that indigenous breeds of cows are about 83 per cent of the total number of cows. If their productivity goes up, even marginally, total milk production shall grow beyond our expectations. He said indigenous cows are tolerant to climate change as well adding that the government is working on “Gokul Mission” worth Rs. 500 crore to promote the breed.
Further, underlining the importance of farmers in the economy, Singh said that special focus has been given to agriculture in the Union Budget, while PM’s Gram Sinchai Yojna will ensure proper irrigation.
He said that for the first time the government has introduced soil health cards to check non judicious use of fertilizers, adding that they are committed to providing these cards to all farmers within three years. (KNN/ES)
Addressing the Golden Jubilee celebrations of National Dairy Development Board in Anand, Gujarat yesterday, he said that the government is set to remove all bottlenecks and inertia in the growth of the sector to further emulate the growth of Gujarat in the whole country, according to an official release.
Singh said that the value of milk produced in India is now more than the value fetched by rice/paddy. “We are the biggest producer of milk in the world and even export skimmed milk powder whereas I remember, as a kid in school, consuming British milk powder in the 1960s.”
Pointing to the government’s initiative to protect indigenous breed of cow, the Agriculture Minister said that indigenous breeds of cows are about 83 per cent of the total number of cows. If their productivity goes up, even marginally, total milk production shall grow beyond our expectations. He said indigenous cows are tolerant to climate change as well adding that the government is working on “Gokul Mission” worth Rs. 500 crore to promote the breed.
Further, underlining the importance of farmers in the economy, Singh said that special focus has been given to agriculture in the Union Budget, while PM’s Gram Sinchai Yojna will ensure proper irrigation.
He said that for the first time the government has introduced soil health cards to check non judicious use of fertilizers, adding that they are committed to providing these cards to all farmers within three years. (KNN/ES)
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