Bhubaneswar: As many as 10,90,832 farmers in Odisha are engaged in dairy farming, Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallick informed the state assembly on Wednesday.
In a written reply to a question by Pottangi MLA Rama Chandra Kadam, the minister said that, as per the 20th Livestock Census, the state has 10.9 lakh cattle farmers. He added that Odisha has produced 27,075.10 thousand metric tonnes of milk over the past decade.
Mallick further stated that Odisha possesses 36,42,797 cows, according to the same census data. The average annual income of farmers from cattle rearing is estimated at Rs 50,000.
Providing details of government support, the minister noted that several schemes have extended financial assistance to cattle farmers over the last ten years. Under the Mukhyamantri Kamdhenu Yojana (MKY), a budget estimate of Rs 22,551.12 lakh was allocated, of which Rs 18,400.43 lakh was utilized as subsidy.
He added that the government will formulate new and improved schemes in the coming years, keeping in view the needs and challenges faced by farmers involved in dairy and cattle rearing.
