‘Consider animal food security like human food security program’ – Rupala.
Concerned about the recent spike in the cost of animal feed, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying Parshottam Rupala stated on Thursday that there is a need to consider animal food security and develop programmes to secure it. He pushed entrepreneurs to investigate the possibility of transforming agricultural waste into animal feed.
‘Like human food security programmes, we will have to consider animal food security,’ Rupala said at a symposium on the ₹15,000-crore Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF).
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The Minister stated that the FCI godowns are full of foodgrains and that a programme to maintain the same level of food security for animals is needed. He also stated that the industry can make a significant contribution to meeting the goal of doubling farmers’ income.
Individual entrepreneurs, private firms, MSMEs, and Farmers Producers Organizations (FPOs) are encouraged to participate in the fund to establish dairy and meat processing capacity, animal feed factories, breed improvement, and a variety of other categories.
Offering Kisan Credit Cards
Rupala stated that his government is working hard to offer animal husbandry farmers Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs). In the previous eight years, the government has paid close attention to this sector, including the establishment of a specialised ministry to encourage development efforts in animal husbandry, dairy, and fisheries.
Rupala also established the AHIDF credit guarantee platform. During the launch, NABARD Chairman GR Chintala emphasised the scheme’s distinctiveness with its credit guarantee characteristics.
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The Credit Guarantee Platform is a rule-based B2B portal that will be used to enrol qualifying lending institutions in the Credit Guarantee Scheme, issue/renew Credit Guarantee Cover, and settle claims.
The Credit Guarantee Scheme (₹750 crores) for Animal Husbandry and Dairy is a crucial component of the AHIDF scheme and is operated by NABSanrakshan Trustee, a fully owned subsidiary of NABARD.
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