The State Government on Friday decided to expand the mobile livestock health services units to all the districts to ensure optimum health management of livestock resources.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who reviewed the implementation of the ongoing animal resources development programmes, asked the Animal Resources Development Department authorities to take early steps to introduce mobile livestock health units in each block as a measure to provide efficient veterinary services at the door steps of the farmers.
According to official sources, at present the mobile livestock health service units are working in all the blocks of KBK, Kandmal, Gajapati and three blocks of Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts. During last year, over seven lakh livestock animals were provided with health services covering 28,028 villages.
Since animal husbandry sector plays a prominent socio-economic role in the State and is providing supplementary income and self employment, the Chief Minister asked the authorities to take steps for creation of employment opportunity for targeted five lakh farmers. To become self sufficient in milk production, the Chief Minister also stressed the need for increasing milk production from 1.5 million MT to 3 million MT in the next five years.
He also stressed the need to make animal resources development an engine of growth of the rural economy of the State by providing income and livelihood opportunities to the people. The mission should achieve self sufficiency in meat and egg production by enhancing per capita availability of milk, eggs and meat, including poultry meat. At present, per day production of milk is 46 lakh liter, meat 3.8 lakh MT, and eggs 36 lakh units in the State, sources said.