Scientific planning key to dairy self-reliance: Arunachal Minister

Itanagar, Jul 7 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Animal Husbandry, Veterinary & Dairy Development Minister Gabriel D Wangsu on Tuesday said the state government is adopting a result-oriented strategy centred on scientific planning, infrastructure development, institutional partnerships and effective implementation to make the state self-reliant in dairy and poultry production and reduce dependence on imports. Addressing a high-level review meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, Wangsu said the dairy and poultry sectors have immense potential but have failed to achieve the desired growth in several regions due to inadequate planning and the absence of a clear strategic roadmap. In his address, Mein called for a critical review of past initiatives that failed to produce lasting results and urged the department to identify the reasons behind those shortcomings. Stressing the need for a practical and sustainable approach, Mein asked officials to develop a robust model for the dairy and poultry sectors and assured them that the government's highest priority would be accorded to proposals aimed at making Arunachal Pradesh self-sufficient in dairy production. During the meeting, the department of Animal Husbandry, Veterinary & Dairy Development (AHV&DD) presented a comprehensive roadmap for the development of the dairy and poultry sectors, an official statement said. The presentation reviewed the department's performance, identified key challenges, outlined the recommendations of the high-level task force and proposed action plans aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in livestock production. During the presentation, officials described the dairy sector as requiring urgent government intervention and highlighted its potential to meet the state's growing demand for milk, including requirements of paramilitary forces stationed across Arunachal Pradesh. The department presented details of milk production, revenue generation and future projections, stating that the targets could be achieved through planned infrastructure expansion and institutional support. Officials identified the absence of an integrated cold chain network as one of the major bottlenecks hampering dairy development. They stressed the need to establish milk collection and chilling centres, transportation facilities, distribution networks and other supporting infrastructure. The department also proposed entering into Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with dairy cooperatives to strengthen the sector. The department informed the meeting that animal healthcare and disease prevention remain central to its development strategy. It highlighted Arunachal Pradesh's achievement of one of the country's highest livestock vaccination coverages as evidence of its commitment to improving animal health while expanding livestock production. The meeting was attended by department secretary YVVJ Rajshekhar, Director Dr Danjan Longri, Planning and Investment Advisor R K Sharma and senior officials of the AHV&DD and Planning & Investment departments. PTI UPL UPL RG