PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
More than two lakh dairy farmers in Uttarakhand are set to benefit from a special initiative aimed at strengthening resources for small and marginal dairy farmers and increasing their income. The initiative will focus on increasing milk production, improving farmers’ access to national and international markets and increasing their income. The State government has prepared an action plan for the programme.
A meeting on the action plan was held recently under the chairmanship of the secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, BVRC Purushottam. The programme will receive financial support from the Gates Foundation, while GDI Partners will provide advisory support. The programme will focus on artificial insemination (AI), embryo transfer (ET), animal feed and nutrition, animal health and strengthening Aanchal cooperative societies and the market system. It will promote better breeding practices and higher milk productivity.
The programme will also work towards setting up mini feed mills, promoting balanced animal feed, improving access to animal health services and expanding cooperative milk collection and processing networks. The initiative aims to reach more than two lakh dairy farmers across the State. Farmers will be benefited through better breeding, nutrition, animal health services and improved access to markets. Technology-based solutions will also be used under the programme, including animal health advisories, pregnancy detection kits and low-cost artificial insemination services. These solutions aim to make livestock services more accessible, effective and useful for farmers.
