Punjab state for the first time selected as the Best performing state in the country in Animal Husbandry sector under Rashtria Gokul Mission.

Facts :

• Punjab State received National Rashtria Gokul Mission Best Performing State Award 2018 for best performance in Animal Husbandry sector under Rashtria Gokul Mission.
• It is for the first time that the department has received such an award along with a cash prize, merit certificate and a citation.
• Punjab Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu received this prestigious Award from Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Developmentand Fisheries Minister Radha Mohan Singh during a function in the National Capital on World Milk Day.
• Balbir Singh said, Punjab Government has been working whole heartedly for further developing animal husbandry and dairy sector in the state to create alternative income sources for the farming community of Punjab.
• The main focus of the government is to encourage the farmers to adopt Dairy Farming, fisheries and other assisting occupations for creating additional income sources to put them out of financial crunch being faced due to increase in agro inputs during a long course of time.
• Punjab Government is also working hard to put the state on crop diversification.
• The Punjab Government has also handed over a proposal to the Union Government seeking allocation of some key projects for further developing dairy, breed development, to encourage research and developing infrastructure for breeding.
• The proposal included the projects of setting up quarantine station at Amaritsar, enhancement of facilities at Semen Station Nabha,Budgetary allocation for regional research center at Central Institute of Fresh water Aqua Culture at Bathinda, Enhancement of Budgetry under DEDS Scheme, Upgradation of Regional Decease Diagnostic Lab Jalandhar to the level of HSADDL Bhopal along with other projects.

Rashtriya Gokul Mission :

• Union Government of India on 28 July 2014 launched the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (a nationwide scheme) to promote conservation and developments of indigenous breeds of cows in a focused and scientific manner.
• The Mission is a focused project under National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development.

Aim and objective of the mission :

• Development and conservation of indigenous breeds
• Undertake breed improvement programme for indigenous cattle breeds to improve the genetic makeup and increase the stock
• It aims at enhancing milk production and productivity
• Upgradation non-descript cattle using elite indigenous breeds like Gir, Sahiwal, Rathi, Deoni, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi and others
• Distribution of disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service
• To run the project, the government has allocated 150 crore rupees for the fiscal 2014-15. Whereas, the project has an outlay of 500 crore rupees during the 12th five year programme.

Implementation of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission :

• Rashtriya Gokul Mission will be implemented through State Implementing Agency (SIA viz Livestock Development Boards, LDBs). The funds of the scheme will be allocated for establishment of Integrated Indigenous Cattle Centre, Gokul Gram.
• The State Gauseva Ayogs will be given the mandate to sponsor proposals to SIA (LDBs) and monitor implementation of the sponsored proposal. All Agencies having a role in indigenous cattle development will be the “Participating Agencies” like CFSPTI, CCBFs, ICAR, Universities, Colleges, NGO’s, Cooperative Societies and Gaushalas with best germplasm .

Gokul Gram :

Under the mission an Indigenous Cattle Centres or Gokul Grams will be established in breeding tracts of indigenous breeds. The Gokul Grams will be set up in a PPP mode and will be established in :

• The native breeding tracts
• Near metropolitan cities for housing the urban cattle
• The Gokul Gram will also function as state of the art in situ training centre for Farmers, Breeders and MAITRI’s. Metropolitan Gokul Gram will focus on genetic upgradation of urban cattle.
• These Grams that will have a capacity of 1000 animals will have unproductive animals along with productive ones in a ratio of 60:40. These Gokul Grams will have house fodder production to meet the Nutritional requirements of the animals.

Economic perspective of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission :

Gokul Gram will be an institute that will generate economic resources through sale of :

• Milk
• Organic manure
• Vermi-composting
• Urine distillates
• Production of electricity from bio gas for in house consumption
• Sale of animal products

These activities will make Gokul Grams as a self sustaining organisation.

World Milk Day :

• World Milk Day is celebrated all across the world on annual basis on 1st of June. It is celebrated to increase the common public awareness about all aspects of the natural milk such as its natural origin, milk nutritional value and various milk products including its economic importance throughout the globe. World milk day celebration was initiated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in 2001 in order to encourage common social public about the milk and dairy products consumption as their daily diet.