Karnataka - Bijapur   

Replicating the `White Revolution'

Suresh Bhat

CARING: Basanagouda Patil R. Yatnal at the cowshed in his farmhouse in Samriddhinagar, Bijapur

BIJAPUR: Bijapur MP and former Union Minister of State for Railways, Basanagouda Patil R. Yatnal, seems to be engaged in a mission aimed at replicating the `White Revolution' of Gujarat. He has built a huge shed for buffaloes in the backyard of his farmhouse at Samriddhinagar here.

There are already 64 buffaloes brought from Haryana and Gujarat here, and eight people from these States have been employed to look after the animals. They are providing training to local people as they are scheduled to go back to their native places after a few weeks.

Mr. Yatnal visits the shed twice a day. He says that the number of buffaloes will be hundred shortly. The shed is cleaned every two hours and the water flows down to grass fields. The dung is used to produce organic manure.

The venture is part of an animal husbandry development plan, which Mr. Yatnal wants to implement through the recently formed Sri Siddeshwar Haalu Utpadakara Sangha, he says.

There is misconception that hybid varieties of buffaloes such as "murrah" from Haryana, and "mysaan," "buni" and "chaprapaadi" from Gujarat cannot be reared here. The animals have adjusted well to the local climate, and there has not been any fall in milk yield, Mr. Yatnal told The Hindu.

Mr. Yatnal held discussions with Verghese Kurien, the man behind Gujarat's `White Revolution,' before launching the Rs. 120-crore milk development project. It is aimed at encouraging farmers, especially those on the banks of the Krishna and the Bhima to take up animal husbandry on a large scale.

Milk dairy

Setting up of a hi-tech milk dairy, producing cattle feed, opening over 350 milk procurement centres and 100 cold storages in the region, producing vermin-compost and encouraging organic farming are part of the project.

The association itself supplies high-breed buffaloes to farmers on demand. It has also a separate wing to train people in rearing cattle.

When Gujarati has been doing well in animal husbandry despite unfavourable weather conditions, why can't we, asks Mr. Yatnal.

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