Kerala Govt Hatches Plan for Poultry Farmers
KERALA, INDIA - Minister for Food and Animal Husbandry C. Divakaran said here on Wednesday that the State government would soon implement a Rs.10-crore scheme under which livestock and poultry would be distributed free to farmers.According to The Hindu, he was inaugurating the State-level third phase of the Gosuraksha (livestock insurance) Scheme of the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) at Kadakkal, near here.
Mr. Divakaran said the government was also implementing a major scheme to make the State self-sufficient in milk. The steps taken so far in this connection have resulted in the Malabar area registering record milk production. He said 10,000 calves had been distributed to farmers. The government also provided grant to farmers to ensure proper care of the calves and also for fodder production. These grants are being distributed through the local bodies. A farmer who insures a cow for Rs. 10,000 under the Gosuraksha Scheme needs to pay a premium of only Rs. 80. The aim of the government is to make even the premium free for the farmer, he said.
Minister for Agriculture Mullakara Ratnakaran presided over the function. Director of the Animal Husbandry Department R. Vijayakumar gave details about the project. KLDB managing director Ani S. Das welcomed the gathering.