Punjab Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Tuesday stressed on direct marketing and home delivery of milk and milk products by the farmers to enhance their source of income as well as to avoid exploitation by the middlemen.
Sidhu, addressing the seminar organized on the theme of Sustainable Dairy Farming through Indigenous Breeds at Agrotech-2018, said that to enhance the daily income of dairy farmers, “it is time to replace the traditional ways of selling milk to the middle man”.
“To promote direct marketing, the Punjab Government is providing the subsidy of Rs four lakh to set up automatic milk dispensing unit to the dairy farmers, milk producer-company and self help groups who has 50 milch animals and producing 500 liters of milk per day,” said Sidhu.
Giving details about initiatives taken to save and keep indigenous cows, Sidhu said that at the cost of Rs 12.5 crore, a Gokul Gram is being set up in 74 acres of land at Bir Dosanj in Nabha where an eco-friendly safari for indigenous cows will also be established.
“This safari will maintain about 600 indigenous cow breeds such as Sahiwal, Gir, Tharparkar and Red Sindhi. About 200 cows have already been kept at the Gokul Gram. These quality cows will be used for production of bulls to be used in future breeding programme,” he said.