From Our Special COrrespondent
Pics by Kalakruti
Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
 
Panaji, Feb 8: Former President and renowned scientist Dr A P J Abdul Kalam on Saturday February 7 emphasised the need to have a 'National Milk Vision' as part of 'India Vision 2020'.

"As a part of India Vision 2020 we need to launch National Milk Vision in an integrated manner," Kalam said during the inauguration of 37th dairy industry conference here.

The former President envisaged a five-pronged strategy with cattle breeding, feed and nutrition, cattle health, farm management and milk procurement and transportation being accorded priority.

The Eleventh Five-Year Plan aims at six to seven per cent growth in livestock and five per cent growth per annum in milk production.

Former President of India Dr A P J Abdul Kalam seen with the India's first indigenously developed homonoid 'Ac Yut' by the students of Bits Pilani in Vasco, Goa on Saturday.

Former President of India Dr A P J Abdul Kalam seen along with the Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat and other dignitaries during the inaugural ceremony of the 37th Dairy Industry Conference at the Kala Academy in Panaji on Saturday.

Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat, legislative assembly speaker Pratapsingh Rane, state animal husbandry minister Ravi Naik and others were present for the inauguration of the three-day-long conference.

Talking about the National Milk vision 2020, Kalam said that India needs to have national milk breeding policy with the inclusion of techniques like embryo transfer and artificial cross breeding. "We need to have 30,000 cattle breeding centres before eleventh five year plan," he said.

"It can be done under public private partnership (PPP) mode. Embryo transfer can be commercialized and made economically viable," Kalam said.

The former President said that the farmers are already in crisis as they fetch low price for their products.

He noted that India despite being the number one in milk production with 283 million cattle, milk yield per cattle is very low. "The lack of productivity is because of ill health of cattle. It is essential to conduct training programme to farmers," Kalam added.

Asserting for proper procurement of milk, he said that we need to concentrate on milk procurement by encouraging milk producers societies.

Earlier, delievering the key note address, chairman of national dairy development  board, Amruta Patel, said that national scientific breeding plan has never been undertaken.

"We need to collectively meet the challenges and each state government should evolve breeding policy. It cannot be decided by animal husbandry department alone and farmers should be involved in the policy making," she said.

N R Bhasin, President of Indian Dairy Association, said that in India 60 million farmers are involved in milk production making 30 crore people dependent on dairy as the source of income. "In last 50 years, the dairy production has gone up from 20 million tonnes to 104 million tonnes," he added.