Modern agriculture practice and wider adoption of farm technology have led to a steep fall in the number of cattle in rural farm families, district in-charge Minister Govind Karjol said in Belagavi on Tuesday.
“Surveys have indicated that the number of cattle has reduced by one-third. This is not good for the environment or the rural economy. The State government should take steps to reverse this trend. Farmers are also using unprecedented levels of fertilizer, insecticides and hybrid seeds. This will have negative effects on soil and can cause pollution,” he said.
“Eating hybrid foodgrains that are grown with addition of inorganic fertilizer is causing diseases such as cancer. We should avoid such developments. Therefore, the State government will promote the use of natural farming and organic inputs. Promoting cattle rearing is one step towards natural farming. This has been proved by many studies,’’ he said.
He was speaking at an event to inaugurate animal ambulances under the Pashu Sanjivini Scheme at the Suvarna Soudha.
The Minister also regretted the trend of rapid urbanisation. Young people are abandoning farming and migrating to cities in search of jobs. Such trends need to be reversed, he said.
He said that the State government has set up mobile veterinary clinics utilising ₹44 crore released from the Central government. Cattle rearing is also among the tools to double farmers income, the Minister said.
Mr. Karjol also inaugurated a multi-speciality hospital for animals, pathological laboratory and a farmers training centre.
Minister for Animal Husbandry Prabhu Chauhan said that the State government will set up one Goshala in each district. He said that the anti-cow slaughter law has saved over 20,000 cattle from being sent to slaughterhouses in two years. They have been sent to Goshalas instead. Officers have filed 900 FIRs against offenders under the Act, he said.
Mr. Chauhan said that the State government has set up 275 mobile clinics for animals and urged people to make use of the ambulance service for their animals by dialling 1962.
