India's Kerala state to help livestock sector

The Kerala state government will soon implement a Rs10 crore scheme under which livestock and poultry would be distributed for free to farmers, according to the Minister for Food and Animal Husbandry C. Divakaran.

The minister was inaugurating the State-level third phase of the Gosuraksha (livestock insurance) Scheme of the Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) at Kadakkal.

The government was also implementing a major scheme to make Kerala self-sufficient in milk, and steps taken so far in the Malabar area have resulted in record milk production, Divakaran said.

The minister said 10,000 calves had been distributed to farmers, who also received grants distributed through local bodies to ensure proper care of the calves and fodder production.

A farmer who insures a cow for Rs10,000 under the Gosuraksha Scheme needs to pay only a premium of only Rs80.

Divakaran said the government aims to make the premium free for the farmer.

US$1 = Rs47.0998 (Jun 5)