Infocus Agriculture Livestock Sector: Focus on Bhadawari buffalo for climate-resilient dairying
BP Kushwaha and Bishwa Bhaskar Choudhary INDIA, with its diverse climatic conditions and agricultural practices, has long relied on the livestock sector for sustenance and economic stability. However, around 70 per cent of the dairy animals are owned by marginal and small farmers. Buffalo farming is an important component of the sector, constituting around 21…
West Bengal with only 2% power consumption creates 40% more agri-value than Punjab
Let us start with a simple question: which state do you think is most productive in terms of value creation in agriculture on per hectare (ha) basis? If Punjab comes to your mind, you could be very much off the mark. Punjab, known for its high physical productivity of rice and wheat, falls at number…
PM launches ‘Bharat Pashudhan’-for livestock traceability
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation ‘Bharat Pashudhan’ – a digital database for livestock animals in the country. Developed under the National Digital Livestock Mission (NDLM), ‘Bharat Pashudhan’ utilizes a unique 12-digit Tag ID allocated to each livestock animal. Under the project, out of an estimated 30.5 crore bovines, about 29.6 crore have already…
How to bring about White Revolution 2.0
The new NSSO data reveals that milk is the food item Indians are spending the most on. To sustain high consumer demand and ensure a good income for farmers, focus needs to shift from hiking procurement prices to lowering production costs at the farm-gate. Based on the most recent Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) for 2022-23, milk has…
Is it unfair for farmers to demand a guaranteed higher price?
Historic fall in farm households’ income in 2022-23 points to the agrarian crisis which calls for multipronged policy responses For the first time in Indian history, farm households’ monthly expenditure (MPCE) has fallen below non-farm (and average) rural households, a national daily has reported (MoSPI released only a three-page brief). The HCS/MPCE being the proxy…
DAIRY NEWSDAIRY POLICY Meandering the Milky Way for Health and Happiness
“I love milk so much! I make a point of drinking a glass of milk every day. So now anyone who did those milk ads with the milk moustaches, they’re my heroes,” Natalie Portman, the celebrity Hollywood actor and heartthrob of millions describes her passion for her most preferred food. After all, cultures across the…
Maharashtra govt extends milk subsidy for dairy farmers by month
The Maharashtra government on Monday extended by a month its scheme to provide a subsidy of Rs 5 per litre to milk producers. The subsidy extension will continue till March 10, as per a Government Order (GO). “Milk-producing farmers would get Rs 5/ litre subsidy from the state government. The scheme requires Rs 230 crore…
Indians spending more on milk, F&V than foodgrains
The latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) for 2022-23 does not only point to a continuing decline in the share of food items in the total spending basket of Indians. Equally revealing is a shift in the composition of food expenditure itself — from foodgrains and sugar to animal and horticulture products. In other words, from foods…
Centre launches Rs 29,610cr scheme to spur growth in dairy sector
Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Parshottam Rupala on Wednesday launched the Rs 29,610 crore realigned Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) Scheme. The minister said that the scheme which was started during the Covid period has been realigned and will be implemented for another 3 years. The industry, farmers producers organisations (FPOs)…
Govt grants Income Tax Exemption to Boost Dairy Cooperatives
Central Government has granted certain exemptions under Income Tax Act to Dairy Cooperative Societies to Boost the Sector In a significant move aimed at supporting the dairy sector, the Government has introduced a series of measures granting income tax exemptions and reductions for Cooperative Societies under the Income Tax Act. The announcement was made by…