Punjab to constitute Milk Price fixation committee

CHANDIGARH : The Punjab Government would soon constitute a committee for the fixation of Milk Price in the state.



An announcement to this effect was made by the Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, here on Sunday at Kissan Bhawan during a state level seminar on 'Commercial Dairy Farming – A Successful Venture' organized by Progressive Dairy Farmers' Association, (PDFA) an exclusive body of dairy farmers of Punjab.



Addressing a large gathering of dairy farmers, Badal called upon the Punjabi farmers with small land holdings to adopt dairy farming as full time vocation. He said that the state government had chalked out a comprehensive programme to provide finical assistance as well as technical know-how to promote commercial dairy farming to facilitate the small farmers with land less than 5 acres for setting up a small unit of dairy farm with 10-20 crossbred cows and a model cattle shed in the state.



The Chief Minister also announced that government would spend Rs. 62 crore for the insurance scheme of animals recommended by the Punjab Farmers Commission in next five years. Expressing concern over the poor quality of buffaloes Badal also called upon PDFA to setup a Breading Center to produce healthy - disease free animals of good quality and assured full support by the government.



Lauding the roll of PDFA, the Chief Minister said that with their collective efforts of the members of the association, a new era of commercial dairy farming had been initiated in the state. He appreciated the achievement of the Association and assured fulsome support and cooperation of the state government.



Animal Husbandry & Dairy Development Minister, Punjab Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike, in his address invited the farmers to avail facilities of training offered by Dairy Development Department and GADVASU, Ludhiana at their training centers. He also assured that the joint efforts of the farmers and Animal Husbandry Department for the animal vaccination would soon launch a campaign in the State to control of Brucellosis and IBR diseases. He said that a project for development of buffaloes was being implemented shortly under which facilities of Artificial Insemination in buffaloes would be provided at the doorsteps of the farmers. In the beginning 600 Integrated Buffalo Development Centers would be setup to cover 3000 villages in the state, the government had earmarked Rs. 60 crores for this project, added the Minister



Dr. G.S. Kalkat, Chairman, Punjab State Farmers Commission, in his address emphasized the need to control incidences of Brucellosis and IBR diseases in milch animals, which are major causes of financial loss to the farmers. He urged the Government to facilitate the PDFA for importing sexed semen to ensure sufficient availability of female cows in future to set up more commercial dairy farms.



On this occasion President of PDFA, Daljit Singh Gill welcomed the Chief Minister and requested the State Government to intervene in fixation of price of milk paid to the farmers by organized milk plants, because milk prices are not increased in proportion to the steep hike in the prices of inputs which has enhanced the cost of milk production manifolds. He rued that the large scale adulteration of milk and milk production has badly damaged the interest of dairy farmers and consumers as well. He requested the State Government to deal strictly with those indulging in such nefarious activity.



Earlier, Badal flagged off two Mobile Veterinary Vans dedicated by the PDFA to the dairy farmers of Punjab.



Scientists from GADVASU, Ludhiana and HAU, Hissar addressed on various aspects on dairy farming during the seminar.
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