Stray cows to be housed in cattle centres

Centre to give States Rs. 150 crore this year for development of native cows

Indigenous breeds of cows will be conserved and stray cows will now have a home.

The Centre has decided to provide funds to States for setting up integrated cattle centres (Gokul Grams) with the condition that of all the cattle that they house, 40 per cent must be unproductive stray animals.

This has been envisaged under a Rashtriya Gokul Mission that is being launched for conservation and development of indigenous breed of cows through professional farm management and superior nutrition in integrated cattle centres. One of the purposes is to promote green power and eco-technology through bio-fertilizers and bio-mass.

To discuss this, the Centre will soon convene a meeting of State Animal Husbandry and Dairying Ministers, the Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh announced here on Monday.

Native vs. foreign

The new government will make available to States Rs. 150 crore this year for development of native cows which easily adapt to poor quality feed, withstand heat and show better resistance to tropical diseases in comparison to the cross-bred Jersey cows from British Isles and Holstein-Friesian cows from Netherlands. Of the 200 million cows in the country, 83 per cent are indigenous.

The cattle centres can be set up by NGOs and private sector in a Public-Private-Partnership mode. Herds of native cattle will be managed in each cattle centre in a 60:40 ratio of milch and unproductive animals. Each centre will manage productive animals of high genetic merit along with 40 per cent unproductive stray cows. The best centre will be rewarded.

Subsidy will be provided to the NGO, trust or the public-private partnership that sets up a cattle centre and works towards enhancing milk production and upgradation of traditional native breeds of cows.

Most popular breed

The more popular indigenous breed of milch cows which are considered among the best in the world are Red Sindhi found in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Odisha, Sahiwal found in Punjab, Haryana, U.P., Delhi, Bihar and M.P., Gir in Gujarat, Deoni found in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, Rathi and Tharparkar found in Rajasthan.

The native cows can withstand climate change but have a lower yield than their counterparts from Switzerland, British Isles and Netherlands. The Minister said by paying more attention to the native milch cows, the government will also focus on their productivity so as to not compromise on the revolution in the milk sector. The by-products would also be used in a sustainable manner.

Unused funds

Mr. Singh said about Rs. 50 crore for conservation of native breeds had been unutilised. With the funds that have been set aside, State governments have now been invited to come up with projects to set up cattle centres in a scientific manner. The mission is a focussed project under the National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development for which Rs. 500 crore were allocated in the 12th Five-Year Plan.

Asked whether the programme was inspired by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Minister said it was a part of the Bharatiya Janata Party manifesto. The manifesto called for a legal framework to protect and promote the cow and its progeny. A National Cattle Development Board will be set up for improvising breeds of indigenous livestock.