Dairy livestock sector to get big boost in Budget

INDIA - The dairy livestock sector is set for a big boost in Budget 2007. The hike would be ‘substantial’.
calendar icon 17 February 2007
clock icon 2 minute read
Ministry sources told ET that the special schemes were likely to be announced in the Budget for development of livestock breeding and improving stock.

The Budgetary year-wise allocation for the department of dairy and animal husbandry in 2005-06 was Rs 669.08 crore, which formed 0.32% of the total resources and 0.61% of the budgetary resources. But the two sectors together got a plan outlay of only close to Rs 450 crore in the 2006 Budget.

While the outlay for the animal husbandry sector for the development of livestock was only Rs 359.50 crore, dairy development only got Rs 68.50 crore, mainly for the Integrated Dairy Development Project in hilly land and backward areas.

However, ministry sources indicate that the hiked allocation would go towards putting a firm framework in place in these sectors, such as dairy where production is high but wastage is equally significant. Cattle/buffalo breeding and clean milk production, therefore, are expected to take centrestage and indications are that loan terms to farmers in this sector would be made easier, in addition to measures such as livestock insurance. India — the world’s largest producer of milk — is aiming to hike its production by 40% from 91 million metric tonnes in 2004-05 to 127 million tonnes by 2012. The boost in Budgetary allocation is part of the exercise to achieve the target and rapidly develop the sector.

Milk production grew by more than five-fold from a mere 17 million tonnes during 1951 to about 91 million tonnes. The per capita milk availability in the country has risen from 107 gm in 1970 to 232 gm in 2004-05, the minister said. However, this average is far below than the world average of per capita milk availability, which stands at 265 gm.

Source: The Economic Times
© 2000 - 2024 - Global Ag Media. All Rights Reserved | No part of this site may be reproduced without permission.