President Droupadi Murmu on April 24 said the dairy sector has a special role in making women self-reliant and changing their social and economic status.
Addressing the convocation function of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Dairy Research Institute (ICAR-NDRI) in Karnal, Ms. Murmu said women have over 70% participation in the dairy sector and should be provided easy loans and market access to set up new ventures.
Ms. Murmu said women power plays an important role in the dairy industry in India.
"The dairy sector has a special role in making women self-reliant as well as in changing their social and economic status," she said.
Therefore, there is a need to provide them with more opportunities in education, training and skill development. Women should also be provided easy loans and market access to set up ventures in the dairy sector, she said.
Congratulating the students who received degrees and medals at the convocation function, the President said it is a matter of great pleasure that more than one-third of the students who received their degrees are girls and 50% of those who received gold medals are also girls.
At the function, 544 students received their degrees.
Due to the increasing population of the country, Ms. Murmu said, the demand for milk products is increasing.
"The dairy sector is facing challenges like the availability of good quality fodder, change in weather due to climate change and livestock diseases. Making milk production and dairy farming sustainable is a challenge before us.
"It is the responsibility of all of us to develop the dairy industry by adopting environment-friendly and climate-smart technologies, keeping animal welfare in mind," she said.
The President said she was happy to learn that the NDRI is promoting various technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy farms and focusing on clean energy sources like biogas production.
"The farmers of Punjab and Haryana played a special role in the success of the green revolution as well as the white revolution. I salute all the farmers," she said.
Milk and milk products have always been an integral part of Indian food and culture. Along with mother's milk, cow's milk is also considered the nectar of health, she said.
Cows and other livestock have been an integral part of the Indian society and traditions, she added.
Ms. Murmu said the dairy industry also plays an important role in ensuring the food and nutritional security of India.
It is a matter of pride that India is the largest milk-producing country in the world and accounts for nearly 22% of the global milk production, she said.
"The dairy sector contributes about 5% to the country's GDP and provides livelihood to about eight crore families in India. Hence, institutions like ICAR-NDRI have an important role to play in the inclusive development of the country," she said.
The NDRI, established in 1923, has made a significant contribution to the development of the dairy industry in India, she said.
Noting that the NDRI has developed a technology to produce clones of high milk yielding buffaloes and cows, she said this would increase the milk production capacity of the animals and enhance the farmers' income.
Ms. Murmu urged the students to always try to learn new things and work for the welfare of the people.
"I want some of you to become job creators and entrepreneurs in the dairy industry," she said.
Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister Parshottam Rupala also attended the function.
