With a promise to meet again, the curtains for the 11th Livestock Championship and Agri Expo-2020 fell today as Cabinet Ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa jointly distributed cash prizes worth Rs 2 crore to the participants.The 11th Livestock Championship witnessed a new record in the milking of cows as a dairy farmer of Ludhiana Mr. Amarjit Singh from village Chimna milked 68.80 kilogram of milk from HF cow in a single day and won a cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh. In the competition of milking buffaloes farmer of Ludhiana Mr. Parmjit Singh won the first prize by milking 27.200 kilogram of milk. Farmer Mr. Baldev Singh from Amritsar district won the first prize in Goat milking by milking 4.172 kilogram of milk. The Championship that witnessed a marvelous competition between the various breeds of Horses, Cows, Buffaloes, Sheeps, Goats, Pigs, Dogs and others was a major eye catcher for the audience. Apart from competition of breeds, detailed deliberations were held on various topics by the dairy and agriculture experts. The Ministers jointly distributed cash prizes worth Rs 2 crore to the winners of the competition. Complementing the winners, Mr. Bajwa said that the state government was making stupendous efforts to associate farmers with dairy farming adding that this championship was a part of these endeavors. He envisioned that this competition would go a long way in encouraging the farmers of Majha region to get associated with the Dairy farming. The Minister said that the state government was making all out efforts to ensure that the farmers were able to supplement their income through Dairy farming.
The Minister further said that the state government was providing high quality sexed semen to the cattle owners at subsidized rates. He said that the state government was imparting training to the youngsters for dairy farming and providing them subsidized loans to them. Mr. Bajwa said that Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amariner Singh was himself a farmer due to which he was well aware of the problems of the farmers. On the occasion, Cooperation Minister Mr. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that Cooperation department was the backbone of farming in the state adding that the state government was making concerted efforts to ensure well being of farmers through it. He said that the Captain Amarinder Singh government has waived off the loan of farmers to bail out the farmers from the crisis. Mr. Randhawa further said that the Cooperative Sugar Mills in the state were being upgraded to ensure that the cane farmers were benefitted from it.The Minister said that very soon the Sugar Mills would be producing ethanol oil, power and other products along with sugar to benefit the farmers. He said that the state government was fully committed to save the youth and farming community of the state. “I assure you that no stone will be left unturned for this noble cause” added Mr. Randhawa. Earlier, Secretary Animal Husbandry Mr. Raj Kamal Chadhary welcomed the dignitaries. Director Animal Husbandry Dr. Inderjeet Singh read the mela report. On the occasion Secretary Animal Husbandry Dr. Raj Kamal Chaudhary, Special Secretary Mr. Manpreet Singh Chatwal, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Mohammed Ishfaq, MD Markfed Mr. KS Sangha, Director Animal Husbandry Dr. Inderjeet Singh and others were also present.