National Dairy Development Board has chalked out plans to provide techincal and financial support to the tune of Rs 120 crore for expansion of Banas diary plant. Banas diary plant (Banas III) will utilise this sum for expanding its capacity from 10.5 LLPD to 21 LLPD.
"The project expansion will be executed by NDDB on a turnkey basis. The amount will be recovered by NDDB from Banas diary over a period of time," said a source close to the development while declining to give exact details of the agreement. Besides, NDDB is also providing technical and financial support of Rs 50 crore to Banas diary for the 500 MTPD Cattle feed plant expandable to 1000 MTPD, 100 MTPD By Pass Protein plant and 25 MTPD mineral mixture plant, it said in a press statement.
Dr Amrita Patel, Chairman NDDB, while laying the foundation stone of Banaskantha district cooperative milk producers union's new 500 MT Cattle Feed factory at Katarva (Banskantha), said that this was an important step as 70 per cent of the cost of milk production is contributed by feed. She suggested that this new facility should be used to produce a variety of feeds for example, feed for buffalo, cow, calf feed, by pass protein, area specific mineral mixture and milk replacer.
Also present on the occasion were Shri Dilipbhai Sanghani, Minister of Agriculture, Co-operation, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Gau Sanvardhan, Government of Gujarat, and Shri Parbatbhai Patel, Minister of State for Water Supply, Cooperatives and Health. Inaugurating the Animal Breeding Centre of Banas Dairy, at Dama, Dr Amrita Patel complimented the farmers on their choice of Kankrej cows and Mehsani buffaloes over crossbreds particularly because of the unpredictable rains in the area and limited availability of feed & fodder.
NDDB and Banas Union are implementing a 'bull production programme' for Kankrej breed. In 25 villages about 5000 farmers are participating in this programme. Specimens of Kankrej cow are seen to give more than 2500 lts per lactation which is almost equivalent to a crossbred.
Recognising the large presence of about 50,000 women, Dr Patel emphasised that in near future women membership in the Banas board should increase to at least 50 per cent from the present strength of 3 members.
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Dr Patel also explained the concept of the Ration Balancing software developed by NDDB, which can be used by local persons trained in the village. This will help in advising farmers on the most economic use of the ingredients they are feeding.
This Ration Balancing programme is already in operation in the villages of Junagadh district where farmers are saving almost Rs 25 per day.