Hon' CM wants farmers to shift from traditional to allied farming Visits PAU, GADVASU. Says livestock has huge potential to double income

[VOPunjab]

Hon' CM wants farmers to shift from traditional to allied farming 

Visits PAU, GADVASU Says livestock has huge potential to double income 

Livestock has a huge potential to double farmers' income through improved efficiency of production, quality, food safety and economics, said the Hon' Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday. He was in the city to visit Punjab Agricultural University and Gum Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. He called for a roadmap for Livestock Revolution -2030 and stressed the need for trained human resource as well as continuous research and technology backup to achieve and sustain livestock revolution. Conceding a proposal put forth by Commissioner Agriculture to allow electricity to the livestock sector at rates on a par with the agriculture sector, the Hon' CM asked the PSPCL to examine this issue and come out with financial implications in this regard. The  Hon' CM also asked the Department of Animal Husbandry to prepare an action plan to encourage farmers to shift from traditional to allied fanning, as they could get better returns from dairy, bee-keeping, goatry, piggery, fishery etc. He said food safety, quality and zoonotic issues should be made an integral part of livestock food production, processing and marketing network, besides adding value to livestock waste for better economics and saving environment. "It was the need of the hour to motivate group farmers into entrepreneurs, self-help groups and production companies for processing, value-addition and marketing," the  Hon' CM said. He exhorted the Animal Husbandry Minister to ask his department to focus on extension services, so as to provide technologies and services at the doorstep of farmers, especially small and marginal ones. He suggested that a duster of 11-12 villages, along with 7,500 breedable bovines each, be adopted by the Departments of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, GADVASU and PAU. 

 

The  Hon' CM inaugurated the state-of-the-art 'Multispecialty Veterinary Referral Hospital' at GADVASU. ■ The hospital will come up at a cost of 114.50 crore to provide world-class medical and surgical care to small animal patients, including dogs, cats, and other small animal domestic and wildlife species. 

It is the need of the hour to motivate group farmers into entrepreneurs, self help groups and production companies for processing, value-addition and marketing. CAPTAIN AMARINDER SINGH,  Hon' Punjab Chief Minister 

For the development of fisheries sector, the CM suggested that the Fisheries Department, in sync with GADVASU, work out a plan to encourage fish farmers in southern Punjab to go for shrimp and pangas farming in a big way as it fetches more remunerative prices than traditional varieties of carp. The  Hon' CM asked the Fisheries Department to procure good quality shrimp seed from Gujarat Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry as the water in the southern belt was brackish and conducive for this variety. He also asked the Fisheries Department to ensure the supply of certified shrimp seed, feed and marketing/processing support Advisor, Animal Husbandry Dr VK Taneja, suggested the establishment of 4-5 state-of-the-art rendering plants across the state for organised disposal of carcass. He also stressed on the need to start mobile OPD services to provide best diagnostic and treatment services at farmers' doorstep. Chief Minister asked PAU to focus on developing short duration varieties of paddy, water saving technologies for crop production and equally remunerative alter natives to water guzzling paddy crop. He also impressed upon the VC PAU to work on frontier technologies, viz. bio-technology, nano-technology, big data analysis and climate change, to improve the sustainability of state agriculture in future. Earlier, the CM also inaugurated a state-of-the-art `Multispecialty Veterinary Referral Hospital' at GADVASU at a cost of 14.50 crore to provide world-class medical and surgical care to small animal patients, including dogs, cats, and other small animal, domestic and wildlife species. 

 

 

Attached : Newspaper cutting : The Tribune 16-Jan-2019