Agri min to set up ‘Grams’ for conserving native cattle breeds

In a bid to give a push to conservation of indigenous cattle breeds, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Monday laid the foundation stone of a ‘Gokul Gram’ for conservation and development of native cattle breeds.

He also announced that 14 such ‘Grams’ (villages) would be established across the country as part of the ‘Rashtriya Gokul Mission’. “The first Gokul Gram is going to be established in Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s birth place, Mathura,” Singh said on the occasion. The proposed Gram will work as a centre for conservation and development of native cattle breeds, he said in a statement. Singh also said that the country is set to harvest record 270 million tonnes of foodgrains in 2016-17 crop year (July-June) on account of good monsoon after two years of drought, while pulses output is expected rise to 21 million tonnes. Before this, the Agriculture Minister inaugurated a waste sewage-water treatment plant as well as a four-day agri-fair to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jan Sangh ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya.

The Union Agriculture Ministry has also conferred Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Krishi Antyodaya Krishi Awards to 12 poor farmers identified across the country for their outstanding achievement in agriculture despite not having access to educaton and money.  Singh requested farmers and entrepreneurs to take more benefit from the agriculture fair.