Chandigarh, May 26 (IANS) Favouring natural farming, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday urged farmers to avoid the excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in their crops.

The Chief Minister highlighted that natural farming not only preserves soil fertility but also benefits the environment and public health. To promote natural farming, the government is offering subsidies up to Rs 30,000 to farmers for the purchase of indigenous cows, enabling them to adopt cow-based organic farming practices.

Saini was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Government Veterinary Polyclinic in Biholi village in Kurukshetra district. On this occasion, he announced a grant of Rs 21 lakh for development works in the village.

Referring to challenges in the animal husbandry sector, the Chief Minister said today the price of milch animals runs not in thousands but in lakhs. “This makes it difficult for landless and small farmers to afford such expensive livestock. Even if they manage to purchase one, they remain concerned about the cattle’s health. Under these circumstances, the importance of veterinary institutions has grown significantly.”

He said presently six government veterinary polyclinics operate across the state, located in Sirsa, Jind, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Sonipat and Rewari. The newly inaugurated polyclinic in Kurukshetra now serves as the seventh centre. In the Kurukshetra district, 49 government veterinary hospitals and 72 government veterinary dispensaries are functioning. Of the 51 veterinary doctor posts, 47 are filled, and out of 130 Veterinary Livestock Development Assistant (VLDA) posts, 119 have been staffed.

CM Saini emphasised that the government is working to protect and promote Gauvansh. Over the past 10 years, approximately 650 gaushalas have been established across Haryana. Before 2014, the government’s budget for gaushalas was only Rs 2 crore. However, the present government has increased this allocation to Rs 515 crore to ensure that no ‘Gauvansh’ remains destitute.

The Chief Minister expressed pride in the cattle rearers, whose hard work has earned Haryana a distinguished reputation in animal husbandry. Although the state accounts for only 2.1 per cent of the country’s milch animals, it contributes 5.11 per cent of India’s total milk production. In 2023-24, Haryana produced 1 crore 22 lakh 20 thousand tons of milk.

He expressed confidence that progressive cattle farmers will continue to increase this output. Haryana’s per capita daily milk availability is also 2.34 times the national average, while the national average is 471 grams, Haryana’s stands at 1,105 grams.

Referring to the development works carried out in the Ladwa Assembly constituency, the Chief Minister said that since 2024, development works of Rs 110 crore have been undertaken in the area, with some already completed and others ongoing.

–IANS

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