Goa to also cross-breed local cattle for more milk
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 01 April 2013 17:27 IST
Goa plans to cross breed local cattle as well as purchase the cows from Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra to increase milk production of the tourist state.
Cross-breeding the local cows however will take little time, says chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
Meanwhile, besides Tamil Nadu, the state has decided to purchase cows from Maharashtra as well as Gujarat at another Cattle Mela scheduled next month.
Parrikar is bent upon increasing the local milk production rather than depending on the imported milk.
Goa’s per day requirement of milk is around 4 to 4.5 lakh litres while the local production is only 1 to 1.20 lakh litres.
In order to inspire the Goan youth to go for the self-employment in dairy production, Parrikar during his last term had introduced a scheme Kamdhenu, providing subsidy on purchasing cattle and insurance if the cattle dies.
Unfortunately, it partially turned out to be a ‘fraudulent business’ for quite a few and the subsequent Congress government as well as Parrikar once again revised the scheme twice.
The government has also discontinued the system of local farmers going to Kolhapur in Maharashtra to purchase cows along with veterinary doctors.
The state has now identified Erode cattle market in Tamil Nadu to purchase cattle.
The certified cow agents come to Goa to participate in the Cattle Mela.
“We will also extend it to cattle agents from Maharashtra and Gujarat”, Parrikar told the Assembly today.
Congress MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco had pointed out names of few agents, which appeared to have given wrong addresses and could be fake.
“We will advertise for more agents from Tamil Nadu as well as from Maharashtr and Gujarat”, assured the chief minister.
While stating that the local milk production has increased by almost 45 per cent, he also informed the House that the number of milk farmers has almost doubled in one year – from 225 to 547.
According to animal husbandary officials, the local milk producers have been producing almost 68,000 litres against 33,000 litres in October last year.
Opposition leader Pratapsing Rane, a farmer by profession, informed the House that he has almost 90 cows producing 12.5 litres per day on an average.
“None of my cattle is from outside, I cross-breed it locally”, he added.
Parrikar agreed to promote cross-breeding of local cattle also, but said it could take little time.
Rane cautioned the government that even the revised scheme should not be again misused for ‘eating’ subsidy rather than increasing milk production.
Parrikar assured the House that the government would monitor the yield of 1421 cows procured through the Cattle Mela and then go for another Cattle Mela in May.
