Team Herald
PONDA: Dairy farmers have urged the government to provide them with a mega economic stimulus package under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, in order to boost the ailing dairy business, help mitigate their losses and make them self-reliant.
The farmers stressed on the need to make those in the State involved in milk production self-reliant and to sustain the dairy business by providing timely essential services and friendly schemes at their doorsteps.
Sanjiv Cuncoliekar, President of the Akhil Goa Dudh Udpadak Utkarsha Sangatana also told media persons that the State government needs to urgently depute veterinary doctors in rural areas.
He also stressed that there was a requirement to provide a continuous and sufficient supply of vaccines to control diseases in milch animals and to also understand the problems faced by dairy farmers.
“There are around 4,500 dairy farmers in the State who face a lot of difficulties every day and hence there is a need for coordination between the government and farmers if the milk industry has to survive in the State,” said Cuncoliekar. He added that there was a need to control the losses faced by Goa Dairy.
Cuncolienkar stressed on the need to certain impractical rules, and batted for voting rights so that farmers could directly elect a Goa Dairy Chairman of their choice. Some members stressed on the need to bring Goa Dairy under the ambit of the Right to Information Act, in order to bring about transparency in the business, while others expressed worry over the Rs 14 crore loss it had incurred, fearing that it might turn into a white elephant one day.
