Dairy farming is an important source of income for more than 50 lakh rural families in Odisha, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik while inaugurating a workshop on “Women Empowerment through Dairying” here on Thursday.
“Income from dairy farming gives some measures of economic independence to our rural women,” he said.
Patnaik said skill development of women on better dairy practices, cattle care and treatment including personal health and hygiene can have a marked impact on their livelihood. They should be imparted with leadership, entrepreneurship and marketing skills to help them venture into wider and extensive economic activities.
He said the State Government has taken several institutionalised initiatives to augment the production of milk along with employment generation in the dairy sector, which includes dairy entrepreneurs development scheme, long term and short term interest subvention, Biju Krushak Vikas Yojana, Cattle Insurance and other on-field programmes.
Besides, the State is also implementing the National Dairy Plan that envisages a boost for dairy sector in future, he said.
Patnaik said the milk production in the State has increased from 1.4 million tonnes per annum in 2006-07 to 1.78 million tonnes in 2013-14.
Considering that nearly 80 per cent of the State’s milk is produced by small holders, the cooperatives have been instrumental in boosting their income. Under the State agriculture policy, women entrepreneurs are provided with 50 per cent capital investment subsidy for dairy farming. Under operation Flood-II programme, the Omfed have organised women dairy cooperatives having all women members and they successfully managed the cooperatives. By June this year, more than 800 women cooperatives are functioning with about 56,000 women members, he said.
On an average, women cooperative societies are collecting more than 90,000 litres of milk per day while women farmers are getting about Rs 75 crore annually towards the cost of milk, he said.
Patnaik expressed happiness that the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) is going to set up a state-of-the-art regional semen station in Mayurbhanj district.
Among others, Agriculture Minister Pradip Maharathy, Chief Secretary GC Pati and NDDB Chairman T Nandakumar also spoke on the occasion.