The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : ‘Pasu Kranthi Pathakam’ launched

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Friday, Sep 07, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

‘Pasu Kranthi Pathakam’ launched

Staff Reporter

Plans funds for animal husbandry to be raised steeply
Thirty-one bulk cooling centres to be set up this year

PULIVENDULA: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy launched the ‘CM’s Pasu Kranthi Pathakam’ at Pulivendula on Thursday and said that 1.32 lakh high-yielding cows and buffaloes would be distributed among farmers in the State under the scheme on 50 per cent subsidy.

The State has 79 lakh milch cattle of which only 19 lakh were of good breed, which worked out to less than 20 per cent, he said while briefing the media at the Government New Junior College grounds at Pulivendula. In a bid to curb farmers’ suicides, a revolutionary decision was taken to promote cattle development. Allied sectors producing milk, meat, eggs and fish contributed more to the GDP, than the agriculture sector, he said.

Steep increase

Animal husbandry would be given a fillip and the plans funds of Rs. 50 crores was steeply enhanced to Rs. 550 crores this year and it would be doubled to Rs. 1,100 crores next year, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy said. Only six bulk cooling centres were established in the last 60 years and 31 more would be set up this year, he said. DWCRA women would maintain the centres.

Five thousand milch cattle would be distributed in the district under the CM’s special package and 2,000 under the PM’s package and DWCRA women were purchasing 12,000 more from other States, the Chief Minister said. As farmers incurred losses in agriculture, dairying, sheep and goat-rearing, poultry and fisheries would be promoted in a big way, he said.

Referring to the Indira Gandhi Centre for Advanced Research on Livestock (IGCARL) for which he laid the foundation earlier, Dr. Reddy said the institution coming up with an outlay of Rs. 100 crores would be developed into a world-class institution. The buildings would be ready by December 2008.

Mahila Dairy

Asked about the revival of the Proddatur Milk Foods factory, he said a Mahila Dairy would be established at Proddatur. IGCARL, the brainchild of YSR, to be affiliated to Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Tirupati would focus on animal health, analysis of livestock products and quality assurance, virology and immunology and embryo technology, Minister for Animal Husbandry Mandali Buddha Prasad said. Kadapa MP Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, ZP chairperson D. Jyothi Reddy, Collector M.T. Krishna Babu and Joint Director of Animal Husbandry Srinivasa Rao were present.

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