DAIRY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN A&N ISLANDS:

The A&N Islands have a human population of around lacks and being a tourism destination, the place also experiences an influx of tours from across the country and migrated labors especially from West Bengal. The local milk production in the A&N Islands was 18 thousand metric tons in the year 2018-19. Availability of food products depends on two factors i.e., local production and imports from outside to beat the demand of population. Considering the national institute of nutrition per capita recommendation of 300gms per day, the annual milk requirement of the islands amounts to approximate 42 thousands metric tons and this area has an amount deficit of 24 thousands metric tons.

The produced milk passes through different supply chain before it reaches the consumers. The local milk produced  in the islands is either collected by the government agency ANIIDCO is the only organized supply chain processor in the islands, and it procures n average of only 70 thousands liters milk per months. Which is low considering the processing capacity of 8000 liters per day through their centre’e linked to farmers. This quantity accounts less than 28.8% of its processing capacity and only 4.7% of milk being produced in the islands. Various traders are importing milk and milk products from mainland’s. The officials estimate of the amount of milk imported into the islands are recorded and thus is unavailable.

The present situation of dairy farming in A&N islands have provided the Vidya Yuvakendra Foundation to strive hard to promote the Dairy Development activities with the motto to increase the milk production in these islands. This organization have conducted various awareness program in dairy development with the support of NABARD since 2019.

The awareness program on dairy development were conducted in south Andaman Panchayat of Beodnabad, New Bimblitan (Sippighat), Guptapara, Wandoor, Namunaghar, Chouldhary, Kanyapuram and Mannarghat during the month of April to June 2022. Subsequently the program were conducted at North and Middle Andaman Panchayats of Kadamtala, shivapuram, Billiground, Kishori Nagar and Subhash Gram during the month January 2023.

A prime objective of conducted awareness program of Dairy Development to Disseminate information to the farmers of the Rural Area those who are indulged in livestock farming and fetching the challenges on the following constraints:

 Cattle Diseases and its treatments

1. Feed Management
2. To avail loan facilities provide by the bakers for financial assistance in livestock farming/Dairy Development under centrally sponsored schemes.
3. To adopt the technology of producing Dry Fodder from Dried Areca Sheath has an alternate Fodder for Paddy straw, by the farmers of A&N Islands at a very minimum cost.

PICTURES OF DIARY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM