Odisha govt sanctions Rs 11 crore assistance for one lakh dairy farmers

As part of Odisha government’s assistance to the people affected due to the pandemic, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sanctioned Rs 11 crore for one lakh dairy farmers of the state. About one lakh milk farmers received the assistance of up to Rs 6,000 as per the package.

As many as 3,600 milk production cooperatives and 2.83 lakh dairy farmers in the state are producing milk through the state-run OMFED (Odisha Milk Federation). There are 1,292 women’s cooperatives and 1.5 lakh women farmers have also contributed to the production of milk.

The chief minister Thursday said that the state government has always been with the poor and is working to protect their interests. He said that more than Rs 2,000 crore has been deposited in the accounts of small shopkeepers, small farmers, Mission Shakti mothers – all of them – to reduce the impact of the Covid epidemic on the poor.

He highlighted the contribution of livestock to the livelihoods of small farmers. It would boost their livelihoods as well as boost the rural economy. ‘Milk has a huge role to play in boosting the livelihoods of mothers and boost nutritional value of children’, he said.

The chief minister said that the goal of the state government is to increase milk production and further improve the nutrition level of the state.

At the event, three farmers from Bargarh, Nabarangpur and Cuttack spoke to the chief minister and thanked him for his special assistance. Satyavati Sahu from Bargarh, Khokan Biswas from Nabarangpur and Vijayalakshmi Swai from Cuttack, said the state government was providing a lot of support to dairy farmers.