After rising to the ruling BJP’s Assembly election manifesto last year, the humble goat in Bihar is now set to enrich the state’s rural economy with its nutritious milk. Below poverty line (BPL) families are going to be at the forefront of this new experiment in milk-surplus Bihar.
The JD(U)-BJP alliance government has readied a scheme to distribute three to five she-goats free to each of the 1.5 crore BPL families in the state as per the BJP’s poll manifesto. The ambitious scheme by the state’s animal husbandry department envisions no less than a second milk revolution in which goat milk would be marketed in pouches.
Goat farming is the brainchild of Giriraj Singh, the minister for animal husbandry and fisheries. “Goat milk is very hygienic and has wonderful properties for human health and nutrition. In Bihar, goats have been the poor people’s ATMs. We want to strengthen these ATMs by systematic moves towards goat farming,” said Singh, an influential BJP leader often known for his right-wing views, on Saturday.
Field trials for the goat milk project are set to be launched soon in Vaishali district, where some 110 women’s milk cooperatives would collect the goat milk produced by the BPL families, said the minister after discussing the project with the cooperative representatives.
The state-owned Patna Dairy, chosen as the lead agency for the project, would market this goat milk, he added.
Strengthening Bihar’s robust diary industry and compensating farmers adequately for their produce have been among the priorities of the Bihar government.
Last week, chief minister Nitish Kumar announced subsidy on grains purchased for feeding cattle by farmers associated with the Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation Limited (Comfed). These subsidies would put an additional annual burden of `13 crore on the state exchequer.
Companies like Nestle, Mother Dairy and some others have shown interest in making investment in the dairy sector in Bihar, said Giriraj Singh in March.