Lack of rains and relatively higher temperature has stunted the growth of milk production in the state
There is enough fodder in the state, said top official of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation. With rains getting delayed in Monsoon, farmers are worried about the availability of fodder. Lack of rains and relatively higher temperature has stunted the growth of milk production in the state.
"We have the capacity to produce 9,000 tonnes of fodder per day, against which our daily requirement and daily supply is about 7,000– 7,250 tonnes per day. So there is no issue of fodder," said R S Sodhi, managing director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), on the sidelines of a press briefing by union minister of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in the city on Sunday.
Sodhi said that relatively high temperature because of lack of rains has resulted in about 3% drop in milk procurement by GCMMF. "Our daily milk procurement now stands at around 200 lakh litres per day, which is 3% lower than previous Summer. But at that time, we had witnessed a growth of 20%. We are not witnessing growth now. If it rains, the production can rise again," Sodhi told DNA.
He also said that the rise in the price of fodder has been adequately compensated by raising the price of milk so farmers are not at a loss.
Govt to start 11 sexed semen labs to improve milch animal breed
Union minister Giriraj Singh Sunday said eleven sex-sorted semen laboratories will become operational with twin objectives of improving the breed of milch animals and helping farmers to prevent production of unwanted male calves. While three such laboratories with two lakh doses are expected to start operations from October this year, eight more with capacity of 20 lakh doses will become fully operational by 2019-20.
Singh said the government was working towards increasing income of farmers through the use of bio-gas, and that a pilot project has been launched at a village in Gujarat by the NDDB. "My ministry is also working on a pilot project to cultivate organic eggs, and if these two pilot projects (bio-gas and organic eggs) are implemented successfully, they will be replicated using milk societies," he said. The minister said the government was also working on "egg cultivation". "We produce 30 crore eggs per day. There is an inclination for organic eggs. We will provide desi chicken to farmers at zero cost," he said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Farmers")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}