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Motihari : Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh while addressing a Pashu Arogya Mela at Semwapur in East Champaran district on October 28, 2017, said that India is emerging as a leader among the milk-producing nations. He said that in 2016-17, 163.7 million tonne milk worth over Rs 4 lakh crore was produced in the country.
Singh said that in 2015-16 total milk production in Bihar was 8.29 million metric tonne, which was 5.33% of the whole country. Bihar has 6.67% of the country’s total cattle population. Therefore, there is a need to increase milk production and productivity in the state. Singh said that Comfed/Sudha are playing important roles in collection, processing, and marketing of milk in Bihar.
Singh said dairy farming has been a traditional source of livelihood and it has a deep connection with the agricultural economy. At present, there are 19 crore cattle in the country, which amounts to 14% of the total cattle population of the world. Out of these 19 crore cattle, 15.1 crore are Indigenous cattle, which is 80 % of the total cattle population. In Bihar, Comfed/Sudha are providing an appropriate value of the milk to the farmers through cooperative agencies, according to a PIB release.
The Minister said that India has 30 crore bovines, which is 18% of the total bovine population of the world. The country’s indigenous bovine is the result of traditional and scientific knowledge and hardwork of hundred years. ” Today, we have 40 breeds of cattle along with Yak and Mithun and 13 breeds of buffaloes,”
Singh said adding that indigenous breeds are least affected due to climate change.
Singh said Bachaur is the indigenous cattle breed of Bihar. There are 6.73 lakh Bachaur cattle breed in the region of which 2.99 lakh are reproductive animals. He said that there is a huge possibility of increasing productivity of Indigenous breeds in the country. For the first time, the government has initiated Rashtriya Gokul Mission with an objective to conserve and propagate indigenous breeds in an organized and scientific manner. Till now Rs 1,077 crore has been sanctioned for the proposals received from 27 states under the scheme. And so far, Rs 499.08 crore has been released under this scheme, he said, according to the PIB release.
Singh said that Rs 67 crore had been allocated to Bihar under Rashtriya Gokul Mission. And so far, Rs 22.5 crore has been sanctioned for the implementation of this scheme. This scheme will help increase milk production and milk productivity in the region.
Along with other components, setting up of Gokul Gram has also been included under Rashtriya Gokul Mission, Singh said. One Gokul Gram will have 500 animals with high genetic quality of which 300 will be reproductive animals. The Gokul Grams will rear Lal Sindhi, Sahiwal and Gir breeds along with Bachaur.