Beed (Maharashtra), Feb 14 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said that the government is placing livestock at the centre to strengthen the rural economy.

He expressed confidence that with the integration of technology, this sector will position Maharashtra as a global leader in milk production.

CM Fadnavis was speaking after visiting the three-day Maha Pashudhan Expo 2026, organised by the Animal Husbandry Department at Parli in Beed district.

The Chief Minister described the expo as a strategic initiative to mitigate climate risk in dryland farming.

“When crops fail, livestock becomes the backbone of farmers’ income. Recognising not only its religious significance but also its economic value, we have accorded the cow the status of ‘Rajyamata’ (State Mother),” he said.

Highlighting the productivity gap, Fadnavis noted that while cows in Punjab yield 10–15 litres of milk per day, the average in Maharashtra is around 2.5 liters. To bridge this gap, the government will deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) for livestock monitoring, health management, and productivity enhancement. Advanced reproductive technologies such as embryo transfer and sex-sorted semen will be promoted to increase high-quality calf production and boost milk output. An agreement has also been signed with Mother Dairy for projects in Vidarbha and Marathwada.

Referring to trade concerns, the Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has safeguarded Indian agriculture in global trade negotiations.

“There is no mention of soybean or cotton imports in the India–US agreement. Farmers should not believe rumours that foreign imports will depress prices. On the contrary, Indian farmers now have access to a vast American market,” he clarified.

Animal Husbandry Minister Pankaja Munde announced that the upcoming Chief Minister Rural Livestock Entrepreneur Scheme is encouraging rural youth to become business owners instead of job seekers.

“To make women ‘Lakhpati Didis’, the government will provide loans at zero per cent interest,” she said. She also highlighted that Maharashtra is the first state in the country to grant agriculture status to animal husbandry and thanked the Chief Minister for the decision.

Meanwhile, a symbolic exchange of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Vidarbha–Marathwada Dairy Production Project and the Livestock Development Board, Nagpur, was held.

–IANS

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