Staff Reporter/ Hisar Haryana
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said that the dairy industry played an important role in ensuring the food and nutritional security of the country.
She was addressing the 19th convocation of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – National Dairy Research Institute (ICAR-NDRI) at Karnal in Haryana today.
“It is a matter of pride that India is the largest milk producing country in the world. India accounts for about 22 percent of the global milk production. Dairy sector contributes about 5 percent to the country’s GDP and dairy industry provides livelihood to about 8 crore families, therefore institutions like NDRI have an important role in the inclusive development of the country” She said.
NDRI, established in the year 1923, has made a significant contribution to the development of the dairy industry in India. The institute’s research has helped in improving productivity, efficiency and quality in the dairy production sector. She expressed happiness that the technology to produce clones of high milk yielding buffaloes and cows has been developed by the NDRI.
Prez also conferred 554 degrees to the students of this institute. Speaking on the occasion, she said, the dairy sector also contributes about five percent to the country’s GDP and provides livelihood to about eight crore families in India. Hence, institutions like NDRI have an important role to play in the inclusive development of the country, she added.
The President said that cows and other livestock have been an integral part of Indian society and traditions. She was happy to note that NDRI has developed technology to produce clones of high milk-yielding buffaloes and cows. She noted that it would increase the milk production capacity of the animals and enhance the farmers’ income.
The President stressed that women are playing an important role in the management of the dairy industry in India and it can play a very important role in making women self-reliant. Therefore, there is a need to provide them with more opportunities in education, training, and skill development, she added. Women should also be provided easy loans and market access to set up ventures in the dairy sector, the President remarked.
The President congratulated the students for receiving degrees and medals and for studying at one of the prestigious institutes which have attained first place amongst all agricultural universities of the country. She expressed happiness while noting that more than one-third of the students receiving degrees were women.
Union Minister Mr. Tomar said that the NDRI is a very important institution of the country, which has completed a glorious journey of 100 years. ICAR affiliated NDRI has secured First position for five consecutive years in the competition among agricultural universities across the country, which is a matter of pride. He said that the contribution of scientists in the Animal Husbandry-Dairying sector, where the country is standing today, is also a landmark. India is an agricultural country, in which it is not possible to imagine the Agriculture sector without Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. Especially the livelihood of small and landless farmers also depends on Animal Husbandry. Animal Husbandry has a significant contribution in the GDP of Agriculture.
There is a need to keep moving forward while solving the challenges in this area. He said that the per capita availability of milk in the country in the year 2021-22 was 444 grams per day, while the global average during 2021 was 394 grams per day. There has been an increase of about 44% in the per capita availability of milk in the country between 2013-14 to 2021-22. Mr. Tomar said that for any student, the convocation ceremony is an unforgettable moment in his life, it is even more a matter of pride that this occasion coincides with the centenary celebrations of the institute. Congratulating the students who received the degree, he said that they are going to be of great service to the country.