 Early Times Report
LUCKNOW, July 12: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Saturday, said that India is an agrarian country and prosperity cannot be achieved without the well-being of its farmers. Agriculture and livestock have always been closely interlinked in India. A farming household is never complete without livestock, and vice versa, he said.
He added, "In this context, the steps taken over the last 11 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure farmers' prosperity are highly commendable. Drawing inspiration from the PM, Uttar Pradesh too has taken significant strides in this area. Benefitting from the energy of the double-engine government, Uttar Pradesh today ranks first in the country in milk production."
CM Yogi made these remarks while inaugurating the national workshop on 'Development of Animal Breeds in India' at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. On the occasion, he also launched the Artificial Insemination Training Institute in Gorakhpur and three infrastructure projects under the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund in Amethi, Bareilly, and Mathura. A booklet was also released during the event.
Highlighting the challenge of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), CM Yogi said vaccination programs had begun but were temporarily halted. Now, under the direction of the Union Minister, efforts are being renewed to achieve saturation coverage. The state government, he assured, will fully contribute to making livestock FMD-free and thereby improve the livelihoods of livestock farmers.
CM Yogi pointed out that livestock quality is influenced by climatic conditions, local management practices, and breeding efforts. While some regions of Uttar Pradesh have succeeded in improving breeds through indigenous methods, others have lagged behind. Several local breeds today face extinction. Focused efforts in breed development can create a sustainable source of income for livestock farmers.
Thanking the Government of India, the CM noted that five milk producer companies are currently operational in Uttar Pradesh-in Balini (Jhansi), Gorakhpur, Agra, and Kashi, among others. These initiatives have empowered lakhs of women, who now engage in milk collection through cooperative societies. These women are not only becoming self-reliant, but also contributing to breed improvement and value addition in dairy production, thereby transforming rural livelihoods. CM Yogi also shared inspiring success stories of farmers from Gorakhpur and Kashi.
Reflecting on the situation prior to 2017, the CM said that the state faced major challenges due to the lack of timely breed improvement. Stray cattle frequently roamed roads, farmlands, and even reached slaughterhouses, leading to accidents and distress for farmers. In response, the government launched a comprehensive plan in 2017 and began implementing shelter homes for stray cattle in 2018. |
