North News
Chandigarh, November 17
Punjab Government is all set to initiate a project to identify and establish the milk recording potential of the Holstein Friesian (H.F.) cows for boosting the profitability of the dairy farming sector in the state.
Sharing details about the project worth Rs 5.31 crores, Punjab Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that the project will be kicked off in the first week of December 2024 and the Project Supervisors, along with local staff from the Animal Husbandry department, will identify eligible H.F. breed cows for milk recording.
He further said around 13,000 Holstein Friesian (H.F.) breed cows’ milk production will be recorded in 90 villages across three districts including Ludhiana, Moga and Fatehgarh Sahib for the financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26. Farmers will milk the selected cows at their homes as usual, with a Milk recorder provided to collect data on milk output using a GPS-enabled smart weighing scale. This data will be automatically uploaded to the national database, making it accessible to farmers, government agencies and other stakeholders across the nation. Complete milk recording will take place 2-3 times a day, depending on the farmer’s convenience, for a duration of 10 months, he added.
Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that this initiative will empower livestock farmers to identify the genetic potential and germ plasm of their cows, besides assisting them in making informed decisions on breeding and management for enhanced productivity, besides establishing the milk recording potential of these cows.
The Animal Husbandry Minister further stated that the state government will also facilitate the purchase of male HF calves delivered by these animals, which will further enhance the value of animals. With the launch of this project, unemployed educated youth of these villages will have the opportunity to earn income as milk recorders. Additionally, this initiative will boost the animal husbandry sector in the state, besides helping to mitigate the issue of stray animals over time.
