ITANAGAR, Aug 7: The NABARD regional office (RO) here on Tuesday conducted a state level sensitization workshop on the Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (DEDS) for senior officials of the state government, bankers, and farmers.
Addressing the participants, Animal Husbandry & Dairy Development Secretary Bidol Tayeng said the dairy sector would play an important role in doubling the farmers’ income by 2022. He outlined the state government’s budget for the current year, in which sufficient fund allocation has been made for the ‘White Revolution’, involving provision of capital subsidy @ 50% to dairy and livestock farmers, setting up a high-tech cattle breeding unit in the state, and revamping Arun Dairy in Itanagar.
Tayeng stressed on the need for the NABARD, the banks, and government departments to work in cohesion and streamline the guidelines to make the scheme a success in the state. He appreciated the NABARD’s idea of developing the sector in clusters, and expressed hope that more success stories would be created.
Tayeng also stressed the need for joint monitoring of the DEDS beneficiaries by the state government officials, banks, and the NABARD.
NABARD RO GM Gyandendra Mani spoke on the importance of the animal husbandry sector and dairy activities in influencing the livelihood pattern of the rural population of the state.
He stressed on the need to ensure implementation of the DEDS & NLM schemes in a transparent manner in order to ensure recovery of loans.
Mani also urged the state government to consider availing financial support under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund and the Dairy Processing Fund to create suitable infrastructure to support the livestock sector in the state to help it grow at a decent rate.
