VIJAYAWADA: Emphasising the need for strengthening the cooperative dairy sector in the state, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has said only through such a system women dairy farmers will be benefited. Reviewing the progress of Jagananna Amul Palaveluva with officials on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said the entry of Amul left the other dairies with no other option but to enhance the procurement prices. With this, the dairy farmers are getting additional income of between Rs 5 to Rs15 per one litre of milk.
Taking a dig at the previous TDP government, he said in the past some vested interests have destroyed cooperative dairies for their self-interest and converted those diaries as private ones. The cooperative service dairies were targeted to benefit Heritage Dairy, he alleged. The Chief Minister said the State government has been implementing YSR Cheyutha and Aasara schemes for the sustainable economic development of women.
“To help them further, the government has taken up construction of bulk milk chilling units and they will play an important role in the cooperative dairy sector, benefiting women dairy farmers,” he said. Officials were asked to strengthen the cooperative sector at the village level and bring in more transparency. At the same time, they were directed to initiate measures for the revival of Chittoor Cooperative Dairy, a long-standing demand of dairy farmers in the Chittoor district.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister released Jagannanna Palavelluva Guidelines for Secretaries, and Jagananna Palavelluva- Training Handbook designed by the Andhra Pradesh Dairy Development Cooperative Federation.
Aqua hubs
Taking stock of the fisheries sector, he said aqua hubs and retail shops are being set up across the state not only to provide nutritious food to the people but also to provide better prices to aqua farmers by increasing local consumption. He said complaints are received that exporters and processing companies are forming a syndicate and cutting the rates for aqua farmers and added that the government is stepping into the pre-processing, processing and retail sectors to solve this problem. He instructed the officials to promote seafood exports. “Also think about setting up restaurants at aqua hubs in future,” he said, while releasing Fish Andhra logo.
