Best care for cows to fetch owners prize of ₹2L in MP

BHOPAL: In Punjab and Haryana, Indian breed cows are in a far better position. In MP, dairy owners don’t rely much on Indian breeds as there is a misconception that rearing Indian cows will not give them profit. The prize money will be a motivating factor.

BHARAT SHARMA, registrar of Gau Savardhan Board, Madhya Pradesh

Happy, healthy and milkyielding cows in Madhya Pradesh will now not only make their owners proud, but also give them a chance to win a prize money of ₹2 lakh.

All a milch cow owner has to do to win the prize money, which totals to about ₹1.2 crore, is take part in a competition organised by the animal husbandry department in an effort to save cows in the state.

Cows of only Indian breed that yield more than four litres milk at one time can be enrolled for the competition, which will be held at the block, district and state level. The winner of the state-level competition, to be held in December, will get ₹2 lakh, while the runner-up and second runner-up will receive ₹1 lakh and ₹50,000. Similarly, the district-level winner will get ₹50,000, while at the block level, the prize money is ₹10,000.

“This is a unique competition to motivate those who take the best care of their cows. The competition began in the first week of November. Not only the amount of milk, but health and proper care of the animal will also be considered while selecting the winner,” said Kedar Singh, executive director, animal husbandry.

The motive is to save cows of Indian breed and improve the breed so that they can compete with foreign cows.

“Since the arrival of cows of foreign breed, Indian cows are being ignored by dairy owners. Despite informing them about how milk production can be increased, the dairy owners seem to be the least interested. This annual competition will definitely motivate them,” he added.

Experts also feel that the competition will bring about a change in the field of cow rearing. “In Punjab and Haryana, Indian breed cows are in a far better position. In MP, dairy owners don’t rely much on Indian breeds as there is a misconception that rearing Indian cows will not give them profit. The prize money for the competition is a good decision and for small dairy owners, this will definitely be a motivating factor,” said Bharat Sharma, registrar of Gau Savardhan Board, Madhya Pradesh.

Recently, the Haryana government also organised a beauty pageant for Indian breed cows.