50 lakh employment opportunities will be created in Animal husbandry

Pashu Sandesh, 04 December 2021

 It is estimated that additional direct and indirect employment opportunities upto 50 lakh farmers and rural entrepreneurs will be created in the cattle, dairy, poultry, sheep, goat, piggery, feed and fodder sectors including the Bundelkhand region.This information was given by the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry  Dairying Parshottam Rupala in the Lok  Sabha.

To enhance milk production and productivity of indigenous bovine breeds, the Government of India has been implementing Rashtriya Gokul Mission since December 2014 for the development and conservation of indigenous breeds, genetic up-gradation of bovine population and enhancement of milk production and productivity thereby by making milk production more remunerative to farmers.

Following efforts has been made by the Government for enhancing milk production in the country under Rashtriya Gokul Mission including Bundelkhand region in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh: (i) Implementation of Nationwide AI coverage for extending artificial insemination coverage and increasing milk production and productivity of bovines including indigenous breeds; (ii) Induction of MAITRIs (Artificial Insemination Technicians) for delivery of artificial insemination services at farmers doorstep; (iii) implementation of progeny testing and pedigree selection for production of high genetic merit bulls including indigenous breeds; (iv) establishment of Gokul Grams for development and conservation of indigenous breeds; (v) two National Kamdhenu Breeding Centers as repository of germplasm of indigenous breeds; (vi) accelerated breed improvement programme using sex-sorted semen of high genetic merit bulls including indigenous breeds; (vii) accelerated breed improvement programme using IVF technology for propagation of elite animals of indigenous breeds and (viii) establishment of breed multiplication farm preferably of indigenous breeds.

Following specific efforts have been made in Bundelkhand region for enhancement of productivity of indigenous bovine breeds : (i) Gokul Gram for Tharparkar and Sahiwal breed of cattle has been established at Ratona in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh with an investment of Rs 11.37 crores; (ii) Farmer and Artificial Insemination Training Institute established at Ratona in Sagar district; (iii) semen station has been made operational in January 2021 at Nauner in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh (iv) all the 13 districts of Bundelkhand region (7 districts of Uttar Pradesh and 6 districts of Madhya Pradesh) are covered under Nationwide AI Programme and (v) for delivery of Artificial Insemination Services at farmers doorstep so far 175 MAITRIs have been trained and inducted in Bundelkhand region during 2020-21, further, 188 MAITRIs are under training during 2021- 22.