Why in News?
- Union Animal Husbandry Ministry announced winners of the National Gopal Ratna Awards (NGRA).
- Aravind Yashavant Patil (Kolhapur, Maharashtra) won the top award for Best Dairy Farmer – Indigenous Cattle/Buffalo Breeds.
- A total of 2,081 applications were received for the 2024–25 cycle.
- Awards will be presented on November 26.
Relevance :
- GS3: Agriculture & Allied Sectors
- Dairy sector, livestock economy, indigenous breeds
- Breed improvement, fodder, veterinary infrastructure
- GS3: Economics (Rural Economy)
- Dairy cooperatives, SHGs, FPOs, rural livelihoods
Basics
- Ministry: Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
- Launched under: National Programme for Bovine Breeding & Dairy Development (NPBBDD).
- Purpose: Promote indigenous bovine breeds, scientific dairy practices, and farmer-led breed conservation.
- Categories typically include:
- Best Dairy Farmer (Indigenous breeds)
- Best Artificial Insemination Technician
- Best Dairy Cooperative/SHG/Producer Company
- Best Dairy Entrepreneur
Objectives of NGRA
- Encourage farmers to rear indigenous cattle and buffaloes.
- Promote breed improvement, genetic purity, and productivity enhancement.
- Reward best practices in animal management, feeding, disease control, clean milk production.
- Strengthen local germplasm conservation and sustainable dairy economy.
- Highlight role of dairy sector in rural livelihoods and nutritional security.
Significance for Dairy Sector
- India is the world’s largest milk producer (~230+ million tonnes annually).
- Indigenous breeds (Gir, Sahiwal, Tharparkar, Red Sindhi, Murrah, Jaffarabadi etc.) are critical for:
- Higher disease resilience
- Lower maintenance cost
- Adaptation to climatic stress (heat stress + drought)
- Better A2 milk demand
- Awards push formalisation, quality improvement, and skill development among dairy workers.
Recent Trends & Data
- Increasing shift toward indigenous breed improvement programmes, including:
- Rashtriya Gokul Mission
- National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres
- IVF & Embryo Transfer initiatives
- NGRA complements government’s push for breed conservation + commercial viability.
- Rising pan-India applications (2,081 this year) shows growing interest in scientific dairy farming.
Governance & Implementation Angle
- Supports Atmanirbhar Bharat via livestock-based rural economy.
- Strengthens cooperatives, SHGs, and Farmer Producer Organisations.
- Encourages private sector and youth participation in dairy entrepreneurship.
- Recognises role of women dairy farmers, often the backbone of rural dairy work.
Environmental & Sustainability Linkages
- Indigenous breeds help reduce climate vulnerability of rural dairy systems.
- Lower input requirements → lower carbon footprint vs exotic breeds.
- Promote pastoral, mixed-farming systems and biodiversity conservation.
Issues & Criticisms
- Indigenous breeds often face:
- Lower productivity vs crossbreeds
- Inadequate veterinary infrastructure
- Fragmented breed conservation efforts
- Artificial insemination skill gaps
- Awards must be backed by financial support, extension services, fodder development, and market linkages.
