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Union Agriculture Minister Shri Sharad Pawar will inaugurate the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Ministers’ Conference tomorrow.
The Conference will focus on the progress made in the first phase of genetic upgradation and National Project for Cattle & Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB) project for genetic upgradation of cattle and buffaloes. The first phase of NPCBB has been launched in 2000 with a financial allocation of Rs. 402 crore up to end of the 10th Plan.
The government is giving special emphasis to animal husbandry and dairying to supplement the farmers’ income especially when they are suffering from hardships with crop failures due to nature’s ire.
The draft National Livestock Policy 2003 that had been prepared taking into account the views expressed by the State Governments and other concerned agencies, will also be discussed in the Conference. The policy aims at augmenting production of milk, eggs, chicken, meat and other animal foods and increasing availability of animal proteins in human diet.
The State Ministers’ Conference will also discuss issues such as poultry and piggery development; livestock health and disease control; avian influenza; guidelines for export/import of cattle/buffalo germplasm; proposed scheme for livestock insurance; dairy development and conversation of threatened breeds of small ruminants.
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