The role of Milkfed lies as a facilitator not only on the marketing side, but on the producer side as well. For quality procurement, it is essential that farmers are aided with facilities which help them produce quality milk. Several initiatives sponsored by the State as well as Central Government have immensely assisted farmers to adopt productive activities which help to enhance not only the quantity, but quality of the milk as well. It is pertinent to mention, that at the back end, the quality of cattle, grade of feed, class of veterinary services, level of breed, and eminence of care go a long way in improving the age of the cattle, as well quantity and quality of milk which should surpass the designated standards for procurement.
In this regards, many programmes have been kickstarted which cover all the welfare aspects of the farmer in a holistic manner. The programme have been designed keeping in mind the future requirements of the market, fulfilling the demand and maintaining a trusted incremental supply.
Milkfed has undertaken the below programmes/activities under assistance from Central/State Government which are as under
Breed improvement program
To improve breeds in the milkshed area, Milkfed has initiated Kritin insemination program covering 4,313 societies under single and cluster AI setters (single AI societies=277, cluster centers=813, covering 4036 societies). 6.76 lakh AIs have been done during the year 2015-16.
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Fodder development program
As a result of continuous dairy expansion through Milkfed, farmers are fully convinced of the importance of high-yielding fodder to increase milk production at low cost and milk volume, thereby earning a substantial margin from the business. In view of the shortage and non-availability of fodder seed, Milkfed started its fodder seed production and distribution program and established a fodder seed processing plant at Bassi Pathana in District Fatehgarh Sahib. This unit has a processing and grading capacity of 15 MT of seed per day.
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Integrated Buffalo Development Centers (IBDCs) in Dairy Sector
To maintain the productivity of buffaloes, which are the main source of milk in Punjab, the Punjab Government has undertaken a management program under the Rashtriya Krishi Vigyan Yojana (RKVY) for Buffalo Breed Improvement on the recommendations of the Punjab State Kisan Commission. The scheme was implemented by MilkFed with technical assistance and expertise from Punjab State Animal Husbandry Department and NGOs in buffalo breeding BAIF and J.K. Implemented in close collaboration with the Trust.
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Silage making program
In view of the continuous increase in the cost of feed ingredients and their limited availability, green fodder is considered an affordable source of nutrients for dairy animals. While emphasis is placed on increasing green fodder production per hectare of land, conservation of green fodder is also important to ensure regular supply for livestock feed, especially during the lean season. Conservation of green fodder in the form of silage is one of the best options available to ensure regular supply of quality fodder during different seasons of the year.
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Ration Balancing Program
Ration balancing is the process of balancing the levels of various nutrients for an animal to meet its nutritional requirements for maintenance, production and optimal growth from available feed sources.
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Calf breeding program
Calf nutrition during all stages of growth is critical to increase productivity, which needs recent attention. Even if adult cattle are well fed, they are not able to produce milk to their full potential, as these cattle are not properly fed during the calving stage. As a result, milk production and reproductive capacity of the animal is affected.
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