TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Milk production in the State has shown a rise of 40 per cent in last seven to eight months with introduction of modified Kamdhenu Scheme, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar claimed before the State Legislative Assembly on Monday.
This statistic is arrived at based on production figures of Goa Dairy, Parrikar said while responding to a Vishwajit Rane question. Parrikar said that currently, State produces 1.12 lakh litres of milk per day on an average as against 87,000 litres, earlier.
Chief Minister also said that under the Kamdhenu Scheme, farmers would be allowed to purchase hybrid cows and improve she-buffaloes for their dairy unit, on their own, to eliminate middlemen.
“There has been a continuous battle between middlemen, farmers and the department over purchase of cows. Now I can give permission to farmers to go directly and buy cows, provided he takes the responsibility,” he said, responding to Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldessai’s query, over involvement of middlemen in purchase of cross bred cows.
Earlier, in his question, Valpoi MLA Rane raised doubts over government figures claiming 40 per cent rise in milk production. Referring to the answer tabled by Minister for Animal Husbandry, Vishwajit said that government cannot reach the 40 per cent figure, if only 1324 cows are supplied under the modified scheme.
“On an average, a cow produces six to seven litres of milk per day. If we go by this figure, it is not possible to have 40 per cent rise,” he said, adding ‘there could be a rise of 10 to 15 per cent in the production, which is also welcome’.
