Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal today held a meeting with progressive dairy farmers and fish farmers at livestock complex here. In this meeting, they discussed the problems being faced by dairy farmers and fish farmers.Speaking on the occasion, the Cabinet Minister said that the Government is committed to diversify agriculture, for which a massive campaign will be launched across the state to promote the allied occupations of agriculture, dairy farming and fisheries, and animal husbandry in a big way and to make the state a leader in this field.The minister also appealed to the youth to opt for these allied farming practices and said that the government will extend maximum help to those who are willing to adopt these practices.
Earlier, Daljit Singh, president of the PDFA Committee, dairy farmers have also taken up suggestions for setting up a stabilization fund for milk prices, besides increasing the rates of milk, providing cheap feed, etc. It also demanded a stringent law to crack down on adulterated milk trade by existing dairy farmers.Minister Dhaliwal said that still half of the villages in the state are not connected with Verka and their main aim is to further strengthen the cooperative movement in the state by connecting people with the dairy farming business in all the villages.The Minister further said that it has only been two months since the government was formed, so all the dairy farmers should cooperate with the government and all their legitimate demands will be addressed.
During a meeting with the fish farmers the Minister gave directions to the officials of the Fisheries Department, the Minister said that one lakh acres of salinity affected land should be brought under the control of fish farming by linking the youth with fish and prawn farming. Agreeing with another view, Kuldeep Dhaliwal said that in order to reduce the cost of electricity for fish and shrimp farming, a proposal should be prepared and submitted for providing subsidized installation of solar pumps. Regarding the solution of the problem of fish theft in the fish ponds, the Minister directed the department to prepare a proposal for the provision of CCTV facilities at the ponds. Apart from this the Minister also directed to look into the possibility of providing insurance facilities to fish and shrimp farmers to the farmers.
Prominent present in the meeting included Vikas Pratap, Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Department,, Kamldeep Singh Sangha Managing Director, Milkfed, Dr. Subhash Chandra, Director, Department of Animal Husbandry, Kuldeep Singh Jassowal, Director, Department of Dairy Development, Inderjit Singh, Vice Chancellor, GADWASU, Sukhwinder Singh Walia, Assistant Director Fisheries and Dairy Development Department besides other officials of the department were also present.