Need For Tenth Plan Policy Review

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Sub:- Tenth Five Year Plan policy/approach for the Animal Husbandry & Dairying sector - Suggestions thereon.

Hon'ble Sir,

We would like to introduce Love 4 Cow Trust. It is a newly registered public charitable Trust. The mission of the Trust is to promote and propagate love for cow, virtues of cow and its traditional place in our culture and economy. The philosophy of the Trust is that the cow represent the cattle wealth and bio-diversity. The cow is eco-friendly and Central to our culture and that the cow sustain our life.

It is understood that the Planning Commission is finalizing the Tenth Five Year Plan policy and approach. The policy approach finalized now will decide the future of the cattle wealth in our country. We, therefore, make the following suggestions for your kind consideration and request that these may also be kept in view while finalizing the policy:

The Objective:

The cattle wealth is part of our ecological system and environment. These contribute immensely in maintaining the bio-diversity which is very essential to the very existence of life and survival of the planet Earth. Therefore, our objective for this sector should be the "Conservation, Protection and Samvardhan of the Cattle wealth". It is our request that animal wealth and the cattle may not be merely looked upon only as a source of animal food or the animal food itself and the sector known as Animal Husbandry and Dairying may not get slipped into Animal Production and Consumption.

The Goals:

The cattle wealth being part of our life system contributes in different ways. The cattle are needed for health and nutrition of children and expectant / lactating mothers in the form of cow milk. The urine and dung are very important and useful source of providing bio-fertilizers and micro nutrients to the soil besides acting as pesticides/insecticides. The surplus dung is also used in place of fire wood thereby saving the forests. The dung is also useful source for production of bio-energy and provides an answer to the alternative power generation. The bio-gas used is also replacement of fire wood. The bullocks contribute in many ways and are very useful to small and marginal farmers. The Panchgavya i.e. cow milk, cow ghee, cow curd, cow urine and cow dung have medicinal and scientific importance. It may thus be seen that there is no aspect to which the cattle do not contribute. Therefore, our goals in the Plan should be to promote all these different sectors which can prosper and add to our economy and GDP. These goals will help in achieving the objectives stated above.

The Thrust Areas:

To achieve the aforesaid objectives and goals, the thrust area may be considered as availability of indigenous cow's milk for meeting nutritional needs, encouraging organic farming based on dung, for restoring micro-nutrients to the soil and the bio-energy for the rural sector.

The Schemes:

Keeping in view the above position, we would like to suggest that the schemes formulated for the Tenth Plan period may clearly reflect linkage to the objectives, goals and the thrust areas. It may also be necessary to have convergence of the schemes as these will have linkages with the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Department of Rural Development, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Department of Women and Child Development, Department of Non-Conventional Energy, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Forests and Environment. In this connection, we would like to make a few specific suggestions for your kind consideration:

1. Cattle Research Centres may be started particularly in the States which have sizeable number of cattle wealth. The centers may focus on conservation and improving the breed and fertility of indigenous cattle.

2. The Goshalas may be developed as 'Govansh Vikas Kendras' on the line of Krishi Vikas Kendras for an integrated approach. The Goshalas be encouraged to keep best of the Indian breeds and have forward integration for utilizing the milk, the urine and the dung besides improving the breeds and samvardhan of cattle wealth.

3. There may be a scheme for setting up of Gobar Gas Plants in each village and the bio-energy produced will help in reducing the Global warming, the most serious challenge before the environmentalist today.

4. Adequate incentives may be built in to encourage small and marginal farmers to use bullocks, cow dung and urine in the agriculture.

5. The Government may also consider setting up the Research Centres for utilizing the medicinal and scientific benefits of the Panchgavya. These Research Centres may also be encouraged in the non-governmental sector.

6. The agriculture policy may be such that on the one hand, adequate foodgrains are produced to meet the growing demand as also food security and on the other hand, adequate fodder is also produced for the cattle. There need to be a balance between the excessive surplus production of foodgrains which can not be utilized and adequate production of fodder.

7. The cow milk may be provided as a source of nutrition under Mid Day Meal scheme and ICDS programmes.

8. We may also have schemes for developing 'Cow Sanctuaries Projects' by setting apart land in the forests and game sanctuaries to be developed as forest-cum-grazing grounds which could be utilized as old age homes for the cattle.

9. The Government may also kindly consider to earmark the week in which 'Gopashtmi' falls to be observed as the 'Cattle Wealth Week' annually.

Hon'ble Sir, as you may be aware, livestock census was carried out in 1997 and its details are still not known. There is apprehension that during the last Decade, the cattle population has diminished very steeply. The reduction in per capita availability of cattle is likely to create stress and strain on our ecology and the bio-diversity of the environment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to take corrective measures in the matter. The Trust is very hopeful that the plan policy for the Tenth Plan period will also keep in view the traditional and cultural values of our society.

With best regards,

Copy to:-

1. Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying
2. Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education
3. Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation
4. Secretary, Department of Elementary Education
5. Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development
6. Secretary, Ministry of Health
7. Secretary, Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy
8. Secretary, Ministry of Forest & Environment
9. Chairman, Animal Welfare Board
10 Member Secretary, National Commission on Cattle.