Port Blair, Sept 18: Cattle are an integral part of rural household. Cattle provide the life sustaining fluid milk, the traction power for agricultural operation, and valuable organic manure. Apart from providing higher subsidiary income, Dairy farming ensures a constant and regular income throughout the year. To achieve growth in milk production through rural population, necessary inputs are made available by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services under the scheme-Cattle Development Programme.
Under this scheme selected part time volunteers will be given training on Artificial insemination and castration with a stipend @ Rs 1500/- and for each successful Artificial insemination resulting in pregnancy they will be given an incentive @ Rs.250/- also @75/- will be paid for each castration, thus providing gainful employment to the unemployed youths. Department will provide pregnant heifers and graded buffaloes to selected farmers on cost basis, 50%/100% subsidy to BPL/Tribal farmers with 100% transportation subsidy. Department will also provide ship fare/charges to selected farmers who procured pregnant heifers at their own cost from mainland for breeding purpose only. Department will provide concentrated feed to farmers on cost basis and 50% subsidy basis to tribal and BPL farmers. Insurance coverage will be provided for crossbred cows producing 8 litres of milk and above on 100% subsidy to the BPL farmers and 50% subsidy to APL farmers. Also insurance coverage will be provided for female calves up to 2 year of age on 100% subsidy to BPL framers and 50% subsidy to APL farmers under Calf rearing programme.
Apart from this, training on scientific cattle breeding, calf rearing, clean milk production feeding, disease control etc are also being provided to the interested local farmers and prospective dairy entrepreneurs at various departmental composite livestock farms situated in different islands. Payment of stipend @ Rs.l000/- for one month training in dairy farming for 10 candidates per year is also provided. The Animal health care, disease prevention through regular vaccinations infertility control etc are being provided free of cost to the farmers and tribal through dept. Institutions, vety. Health camps and mobile vety. Services in all the Islands of the territory.
Along with the cross breeding programme, fodder development programme is also being strengthened in the Islands, for which necessary grant-in-aid of Rs.l0,000 is also being provided to each identified panchayat. It is also envisaged to help the local small holder dairy farmers of far-off islands especially North and Middle Andaman in collection of surplus milk and marketing through mobile cold chain facilities in collaboration with ANIIDCO during the year.
