The panel recommends subsidies to farmers for rearing non-dairy cattle, management of stray cattle

File photo of Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on agriculture chief and former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi. | Photo Credit: ANI

The Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Agriculture, chaired by former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, has recommended subsidies to farmers for rearing non-dairy animals so that they can manage the problem of stray cattle. The panel asked the Center to increase the allocation for insuring livestock.

Appreciating the Union Animal Husbandry Department’s efforts to control the birth of male cattle using sex-sorted semen technology – which results in only female calves with a 90% accuracy rate – the panel also said there is a need to prevent further increase in stray cattle. The already existing livestock population is 193.46 million cattle and 109.85 million buffaloes.

“Therefore, the Committee recommends increasing the allocation of funds for the promotion of gaushalas (gaushalas) across the country for farmers as well as providing some incentives/subsidies to farmers and farm laborers to take care of the cattle that have lost their economic utility. There is an option of availing the services of gaushalas or getting government incentives/subsidies to take care of their non-productive cattle,” the report said.

The committee also mentioned that due to inadequate budget arrangements, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has covered only 1% of the livestock population in animal insurance under the Centrally Sponsored National Livestock Mission. “Looking at the risk of more than 100 million people involved in animal husbandry activities, the committee has suggested that the government immediately start a comprehensive animal insurance scheme to bring 53.5 million livestock population under the scope of this scheme. The committee has suggested that the government should provide higher allocation for the implementation of animal insurance scheme,” the report said.

It also asked the Center to work towards self-sufficiency in cattle feed and fodder availability. “With increased availability of green grass, the cost of milk production by farmers will come down significantly and the dependence of farmers on cattle feed will also decrease. This increases the profit margin of dairy farmers by about 25%,” the panel said.