Odisha Govt, JK Trust sign MoU to set up ILD Centres

The State Government on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JK Trust to set up 510 integrated livestock development (ILD) centres in 13 tribal districts of the state, namely, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Nuapada, Bargarh, Sundargarh, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Boudh.

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development  Pradeep Maharathy said that the project will be implemented during 2016-17 with financial support to the tune of Rs.12 crore 85 lakhs under Rashtriya Krushi Vikash Yojana (RKVY).

The new project will cover about 4500 villages in 510 GPs and 510 rural youths will be engaged as Gopals in the identified centres. During the implementation of “Cattle Breed and Small Ruminant Improvement Project”, 25,000 crossbred and upgraded female calves of high genetic merit and having higher milk production potential will be produced thereby providing a sustainable livelihood to the dairy farmers in the project area.

Such a project will bring opportunity to the dairy farmers for their supplementary income which will help in reducing the vulnerability of farmers in case of crop failure. Commissioner-cum-Secretary, F&ARD Dept. Sri Bishnupada Sethi hoped that this project will complement the efforts of the Department to upgrade the genetic potential of the bovine population as envisioned in the Odisha Bovine Breeding Policy 2015.