The Uttar Pradesh government has launched Nandini Krishak Samriddhi Yojana under the Nand Baba Mission to improve the breed of cattle and increase milk production in the state.
Dairy commissioner and mission director Shashi Bhushan Lal Sushil said that while Uttar Pradesh was  a leading producer of  milk in the country, the per-animal milk production in the state was low.
“The main reason for this is a shortage of high-quality milch animals in the state. To address this shortage and establish more units of superior milch cow breeds, the Nandini Krishak Samriddhi Yojana has been launched,” he said.
In the first phase of the scheme, the Yogi government would provide subsidies to those beneficiaries setting up 35 units of 25 milch cows. The subsidy would be provided in three phases: upon the purchase of cows, for their conservation and for their maintenance, he said.
In the initial phase, this scheme will be implemented in the ten divisional headquarters of the state, namely Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Meerut, Agra and Bareilly.
Under the scheme, Sahiwal, Gir, Tharparkar and Gangatiri breeds of milch cows are included. The Yogi government has estimated a cost of Rs 62.5 lakh for establishing a unit of 25 milch cows under the scheme. Therefore, the Yogi government will provide a 50 per cent subsidy on the total expenses, which amounts to a maximum of Rs 31.25 lakh.
In the first phase, 25 per cent of the project cost will be provided as a subsidy for unit construction. In the second phase, 12.5 per cent subsidy will be given for the purchase of 25 milch cows, their 3-year insurance, and transportation costs. In the third phase, the remaining 12.5 per cent of the project cost will be provided as a subsidy.