Union Minister R R Singh assures Tripura of all help for dairy fishery development

Agartala, May 18 (PTI) Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Saturday asserted that the Centre is ready to help Tripura to double the income of the people involved in dairy, animal rearing and pisciculture.
    Addressing a programme after inaugurating a 40,000-litre milk processing unit at Bamutia in West Tripura district, Singh said the northeastern state has great potential in fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy to boost the livelihood of rural people.
    "If Chief Minister Manik Saha desires, we will bring in the ministry officials, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and have a brainstorming session to develop dairy, animal husbandry and fisheries," the central minister said.
    Exhorting the officials to go for a statewide campaign to form organisations to achieve maximum collection of milk, the union minister said, "The income of people involved in animal rearing will be doubled if cooperatives are engaged in the mission. I also request the government to accelerate artificial insemination programmes for the benefit of those involved in animal rearing."
    He hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for segregating fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying from the Ministry of Agriculture, and said the move has appeared to be a game changer as India has emerged as the highest milk-producing country in the world.
    The chief minister said he had a discussion with DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on achieving self-reliance on the production of milk, eggs, fish and meat.
    The government has set a target to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of milk, eggs, fish and meat in the next five years, he said.
    Saha also emphasised on a comprehensive cold chain from milk production to the selling of quality milk products.
    "If this is done, the socio-economic condition of farmers will be changed," he said, adding, the state is ready to work with the Centre for the betterment of the sector.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)