Government Blames Production Gap on Cattle Smugglers
INDIA – While Indian milk production tops global charts the output of the Tripura region is being hit due to a spate of cattle smuggling to Bangladesh.
9 April 2013
1 minute read
Milk targets for the region have not been reached and the government has blamed smuggling activities on the production shortfall, reports daijiworld.
This has impacted on regional ambitions set out in the Tripura government’s ten year dairy plan.
Launched in 2009, the plan included extension work carried out by the Tripura Livestock Agency to develop dairy farming in the region.
However, current milk availability is 90 grams per capita as opposed to the Indian average of 281 grams.
The Agartala Dairy Private Limited (ADPL) has set up a processing unit with a daily cpacity of 50,000 litres in the industrial boom town of Bodhjugnagar to bridge the gap between production in Tripura and elsewhere.
ADPL managing director Vincent Raju, a leading dairy consultant said: "World class machineries have been set up in the plant to produce quality milk and various other milk based products."
He told daijiworl that the northeast's milk deficit is being addressed by milk powder.
Fencing work was undertaken along the India-Bangladeshi border in a bid to secure Indian cattle and assist in developing the sector. The work was moderately successful but Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar told daijiworld that since incidents have reduced following the fencing work, not stopped.
Knowledge and skill transfer programmes have been promised by the ADPL to help farmers choose the best breeding, feed and milking practices.
TheCattleSite News Desk
