NDDB to set up semen station in Mayurbhanj

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Aug 7: National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has decided to set up a state-of-the-art regional semen station in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha.This was announced at a national symposium on `Women Empowerment Through Dairying’ that NDDB organised at Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar on Thursday.Inaugurating the symposium, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said expressed satisfaction over NDDB’s decision to set up the semen station which will cater to the requirement of Odisha and its neighbouring States.Odisha Government has provided 127 acres of land for the project, Patnaik said.The Chief Minister expressed happiness that the workshop was being specifically organised to discuss women empowerment through a traditional and trusted sector like dairy development.“Dairy farming is an important source of income for more than 50 lakh rural families in Odisha providing employment and income generating opportunities for the vulnerable sections of our population,” Patnaik said.“Income from dairy farming gives some measures of economic independence to our rural women,” he added.The State Government has taken several institutionalised initiatives to augment the production of milk along with employment generation in diary sector, the Chief Minister said.“This includes diary entrepreneurs development scheme, long term and short term interest subvention, Biju Krushak Vikas Yojana, Cattle Insurance and other on-field programmes.The State is also implementing National Diary Plan that envisages a boost for diary sector in the future,” Patnaik observed.Odisha Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy, State Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati and NDDB Chairman T.Nanda Kumar also spoke on the occasion.