New Delhi: As per the Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Mr Devendra Choudhry, all the sectors of animal husbandry need to be promoted aggressively not only for better return but also for ensuring gainful employment and nutritional needs of the people.
Mr Choudhry chaired a meeting comprising senior officers from IDBI, NABARD and NCDC today here on the subject of finding a way out for an estimated funding of Rs 10,000/- crore or more in all sectors including Dairy and Fisheries etc. Mr Choudhry said that it is imperative that all the sectors of Animal Husbandry including Dairy and Fisheries etc. needs to be promoted aggressively not only for better return but also for ensuring gainful employment and nutritional needs of the people.
Secretary underscored the point that as an amount of one rupee invested in animal husbandry activities provides return of three rupees whereas from agriculture (Rupee 0.70) is the return which is far less.
Mr Choudhry informed that a number of funding agencies are to be identified for bridging the gap between usual plan resources and requirement as stated above in foregoing paras. He informed that Japan International Coordinating Agency (JICA) is providing an amount of somewhat, Rs 7000 crore for dairy development including infrastructure etc. It was emphasized that as to how the other agencies like NABARD, IDBI, NCDC can facilitate priority lending sector funding to the animal husbandry activities and on the beneficial terms to entrepreneurs including cooperatives and small and marginal farmers.
Secretary categorically pointed out that animal husbandry can be the effective tools for changing the game for enhancing and doubling the income of the farmers and directed all the participating agencies to find out a fully integrated prospective for animal husbandry sectors and come up with the solutions from their end.
