In a bid to increase milk production in the State and make dairy farming more remunerative, the Haryana Government has proposed to set up hi-tech dairy units in all districts of the State.
To begin with, the State Government has fixed a target to establish 25 hi-tech dairy units in Haryana during the current financial year 2017-18. These proposed hi-tech dairy units of 50 milch animals will be equipped with the latest technologies in milking, cleaning and waste management, feeding practices among other facilities.
At these hi-tech dairy units, ear tags would be fastened on cow and the tags would carry information about breed, milk yield, feeding pattern among other details. Also, the data on their health care will be regularly updated for better management.
Apart from 25 hi-tech dairy units, the State Government has also fixed a target to set up 1000 mini dairy units of milch animals including indigenous cattle of Hariana, Sahiwal and Belahi breeds during the current fiscal year. A provision of Rs 10 crore has been earmarked by Haryana Government to set up hi-tech and mini dairy units in the state.
“The scheme for establishment of hi-tech dairy units will assist the dairy farmers to make a shift from the traditional dairying methods to modern ones. This would help in increasing milk production besides making dairy farming more remunerative,” said a senior official of Haryana Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department while talking to The Pioneer.
Under the scheme for establishment of hi-tech dairy units, the beneficiaries of large size dairy unit of 50 milch animals will be given subsidy in the form of interest subvention on loan (of loan amount not more than 75% of the unit cost ) raised by them for the establishment these dairy units.
To encourage the farmers to setup mini dairy units of indigenous cattle, subsidy at 50% of the units cost will be provided to the beneficiaries for purchase of cows of Hariana, Sahiwal and Belahi breeds.
The scheme chalked out by the Department proposes to generate employment opportunities in the dairy sector. Self employment will be provided to about 1025 beneficiaries during this year, said the official.
He added that the project to set up hi-tech dairy units was proposed to begin last year, however, it was delayed and the State Government has now swung into action to set up such modern dairy units.
Known for pushing aggressive “cow protection” measures in the state, BJP led Haryana Government has launched various initiatives for conservation and development of indigenous cattle in the state.
The State Government has also fixed a target to identify 2000 indigenous Hariana, Sahiwal and Belani breed of cows during the current financial year and fasten ear tags on them. The government is focusing on preservation and conservation of indigenous cattle breeds to increase per capita per day availability of milk from 835 millilitre to 1050 millilitre by 2022, and to increase overall milk production from 83 lakh tons to 112 lakh tons, with annual increase of 5 per cent.
Notably, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, OP Dhankar had recently led a state level delegation to three foreign countries to study techniques being adopted for horticulture, floriculture, dairying and animal husbandry.
After returning from his two-week visit to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, Dhankar had announced that efforts would be made to increase the production of milk in the state by focusing on higher milk producing cattle breeds, adopt modern techniques and improving feed of milch animals.