The Hindu : Goa to be self-sufficient in milk soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 30, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Others

Goa to be self-sufficient in milk soon

By Anil Sastry

PANAJI, JAN. 29. The Government has said that the State will soon achieve self-sufficiency in milk production as 3,400 milch animals have been distributed among 830 farmers within three months of the launching of the "Kamadhenu" scheme.

Speaking to presspersons here on Wednesday, the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Non-conventional Energy, Dayanand Mandrekar, said veterinary doctors had been directed to accompany beneficiary farmers to procure crossbreed cows and she-buffalos from other States.

The Minister said that under the scheme, a farmer could buy up to 10 milch animals. While the Government provided 50 per cent assistance, the rest should be borne by the beneficiary. The cost of each animal was restricted to Rs. 16,000 for loan purpose. Also, the beneficiary would be provided an assistance of Rs. 5,000 on an animal towards working capital, wherein the Government provided 25 per cent assistance, he said.

Finance was arranged through the Goa State Cooperative Bank and the Government furnished guarantee for the loan, he said.

Novel identification system

Setting aside the conventional ear tag system for identification of animals, the State had adopted the microchip identification system, the Minister said. He claimed that Goa would be the first State in the country to utilise this technology.

He noted that under the new system, a microchip would be placed below the earflap of the animal with the help of a specially designed syringe. The chip later on got embedded in the muscle around the ear. He stated that each microchip had a number, which could be read from a microchip reader when placed near the ear. Also, the related software could be used to store information about the animals, which would help the industry.

Rice production

Mr. Mandrekar said agricultural production had increased by 20 per cent owing to the adoption of modern technology in the farming sector.

The production of rice had increased from 2,620 kg per hectare to 3,190 kg.

The Government expected the rice harvest to be around 1.16 lakh tonnes in the present kharif season as against 90,000 tonnes during the previous year, he said. During the past three years, the Government had spent Rs. 5 crore on support prices for areca, palm, and sugarcane, he added.

As many as 750 tanks and ponds had been desilted all over the State, Mr. Mandrekar said. The Government had not invited tenders for the purpose, the Minister said and added that local self-help groups had undertaken the task.

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