National Dairy Mela Concludes at NDRI, Karnal

27th February, 2013, Karnal

A 3-day National dairy Mela organized by the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal from February 25-27, 2013 concluded here today. Shri Arvind R Kaushal, Secretary, ICAR and Additional Secretary, DARE addressed the gathering as Chief Guest in the valedictory function. He said that India has the highest livestock population of the world that requires more green fodder production and straw for adequate feeding. Green fodder is grown in an area of 4 percent whereas the total population to be fed with green fodder requires around 10 percent of the cultivable land. Technologies pertaining to straw improvement and making their blocks without deteriorating the quality for quick transportation to straw deficit areas may be strengthened.

Dr. A.K. Srivastava, Director, NDRI in his address said that India has 12 percent of the world livestock population that produces around 16 percent of the milk whereas United State of America posses 5.8 percent livestock population that produces around 12 percent of the milk therefore it is essential that the dairy farm families should concentrate more on the elite dairy animals of well defined breeds which could be produced through artificial insemination (AI). He added that NDRI could distribute 7 lakh 40 thousand doses of semen from selected bulls of different breeds in the past five years to different agencies which has produced good progeny.

Dr. D.K. Gosain, Organizing Secretary of the Mela, informed that more than 12,000 dairy farmers, farm women and dairy entrepreneurs from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar participated in the Dairy Mela. He added that around 235 dairy farmers from different states brought more than 504 cattle and buffaloes for different competitions.

Winning dairy farmers were awarded the cash prizes and trophies. Mr. Baldev Singh village Galibkheri, Karnal, Mr. Narinder Singh, village Didvani, Panipat, Mr. Rajesh , Budhakhera, Kaithal, Mr. Rajiv Chaudhary, Ghaziabad (UP) were conferred prizes for best cow,  best buffaloe, best buffaloe bull and  best  bull of the show respectively.

Senior officials of ICAR institutes, NDRI and line departments graced the occasion.

 (Source:  NDRI, Karnal)