Farmers' awareness camps to be conducted in 1000 villages-Ranike

Chandigarh, August 27, 2014: The Punjab Government would organise Farmers’ Awareness Camps in 1000 villages with the motive to encourage the farmers to opt for subsidiary occupations. This initiative is aimed at getting the peasantry out of the 2 crop vicious circle and to encourage them to practice subsidiary occupations like fish farming, dairy, animal husbandry and bee keeping etc.
It was announced by Gulzar Singh Ranike, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development Minister after presiding over the review meeting of the department.  He said that every kind of available information on subsidiary occupations would be disseminated to the farmers. He said that Rs. 10,000 would be incurred on each awareness camp. He said that in total Rs. 1 crore has been earmarked for the conduct of 1,000 awareness camps.
Replying a query asked by the journalists the Minister said that many parts of Punjab were facing acute shortage of green fodder due to the deficit rain and the matter has been taken up by the Chief Minister Punjab with the Union Government.  Earlier in the state level review meeting Ranike issued instructions to the officers for the successful conduct of the animal fairs in the state. The Minister also reviewed the vaccination campaign for foot & mouth disease in animals. He also apprised the working of semen banks, polyclinics, mobile vans etc. by the senior officers of the department.
Prominent among others who were present in the meeting included Des Raj Dhugga, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Financial Commissioner G. Vajralingam, Director H.S.Sandha and other senior officers of the department.