Special programme for livestock census launched

Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Jhajjar, December 23

Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Om Prakash Dhankar today launched a special programme for census of livestock in 2019 to prepare accurate data of cattle heads in Haryana. Earlier, livestock census was conducted in the state in 2012.

He also announced to send cattle-rearers to those nations where milk production is much more than India so that they could learn modern techniques of livestock farming from these countries for raising the production of milk in India.

“Under the census programme, breed-wise data of livestock will be collected as it will help the government in taking vital steps and framing policy for breed improvement. A mobile application software has been developed for collecting and transferring the data online,” said Dhankar while addressing farmers at the concluding ceremony of 36th Livestock Exhibition here on Sunday.

The minister informed Haryana has 36 lakh cattle of which 21 lakh are buffaloes and 15 lakh are cows having average milk production of 6.8 kg. Special efforts would be made to take this average up to 10 kg per milch animal, focusing upon milch animals with less milk production so as to increase their milk productivity. Work is being done on technology adoption for breed improvement in Haryana, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Krishan Pal Singh Gujjar patted Dhankar on the back for successfully organising the mega exhibition in which a considerable number of farmers across the state participated with their best livestock including bulls, buffaloes, ‘desi’ cows, horses, camels etc.

12 farmers win tractor  

12 farmers of six districts won tractors through lucky draw conducted on the basis of registration slips. The slips were taken out by the chief guests from the box in front of the farmers. Besides them, 13 farmers got motorbikes through lucky draw.

Panipat buffalo gets first prize 

• The Murrah buffalo of cattle-rearer Naveen of Didwadi village in Panipat was declared breed champion in the livestock exhibition. Naveen was given a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh by minister OP Dhankar. The Murrah bull of Virender from Saini Pura (Sonepat) got a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh as runner-up. In the Sahiwal breed category, the cow of Ram Singh of Tarawdi (Karnal) was declared champion while the bull of Dalbir of Bhaiyapur Ladhout village emerged runner-up. 
• In the cross-breed category, the cow of Ramkishan from Barsalu village (Karnal) was declared champion while the cow of Kuldeep Singh from Dadupur Khurd village got the runner-up prize.