Dairy farming boosts sustainable livelihood in Meghalaya

The Government of Meghalaya recently organized a livestock mission programme to boost up dairy farming and encourage farmers and unemployed youth for sustainable livelihood to the people of the state.

Addressing the function, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said, "10,000 families in the state would benefit from the ambitious livestock mission, wherein Holstein Friesian, high yielding dairy cattle, would be given away to beneficiaries on a "cluster approach."

He further asserted that the programme was continuation of livelihood programme which was designed to create a sustainable livelihood and to ensure that livelihood opportunities in the rural areas were found to be as sustainable and as attractive elsewhere.

In last few decades dairy farming has evolved with the help of technological interventions and has become attractive for the younger generation to take dairy farming as one of the sustainable livelihood model.

A cattle farmer, Stella Marak said, "I sell about eight litres of milk per day at Rs. 60 per litre, on which I earn Rs. 2,000 (approx) per week. We even rear a local breed along with Jersey. Cattle farming has helped us a lot to maintain our family."

Continuous training to farmers with value addition of milk products in the state, dairy farming would also help to generate more employment opportunities and open up new avenues.