Research 8.21. The two central research institutes namely, Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) Izatnagar, U.P., and the Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, Avikanagar, Rajasthan were trans- ferred under the administrative control of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in 1967. The existing research facilities at both the institutes are proposed to be strengthened and a new Plant Animal Virus Research Institute would be set up. At IVRI, new divisions of Epidemiology, Veterinary Public Health, Experimental Medicine and Surgery and Livestock Products Technology are proposed to be set up. The work of these divisions will comprise of investigations on the epidemiology of various important diseases and their control measures, study of safety, efficacy, viability and applicability of newly developed medicines under controlled conditions and systematic research to evolve better techniques of collection, processing, packaging and marketing of meat, meatmeal, bones, bone meal and animal casing.
8.22. Since consumption of animal products has been steadily rising, various types of microbial food poisoning are likely to present problems. The two main aspects of research proposed concern the diseases communicable from animal to man and vice-versa and the problem of rendering animal products safe for human consumption. For the control of foot and mouth disease, a vaccine has already been developed. Further research on this. disease will be intensified for developing a potent vaccine for pigs. Under a coordinated project, typing of foot and mouth disease viruses would be undertaken. A number of coordinated multi-disciplinary research projects are proposed to be taken
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up for producing better productive' strains of different species livestock through adoption of scientific methods of breeding, feeding, management and disease control. At the Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute and at its two regional stations near Kulu and Kodaikanal, research will be undertaken on sheep breeding, management, health and wool processing technology.
II
DIARYING AND MILK SUPPLY 8.23. While in the Second Plan stress had been laid on establishment of colonies of milch cattle in metropolitan cities on the Aarey pattern, the Third Plan policy was to develop dairy projects with emphasis on milk production in rural areas linked with plants for marketing surplus milk in urban centres. It was envisaged that the supply and collection of milk would be undertaken by producers' cooperatives in rural areas and the processing and distribution of milk and manufacture of milk products would be organised through plants operated as far as possible on cooperative lines. During the period 1961-69, 22 liquid milk plants and 4 milk product factories had been commissioned 'and brought in operation. Besides, 25 liquid milk supply schemes and 8 milk product plants were under various stages of installation.
8.24. On the eve of the Fourth Plan, the total number of dairy plants in-operation was 91 comprising 47 liquid milk plants, 7 milk product factories and 37 pilot milk schemes. Of these, 53 plants are in the public sector, while the rest in the cooperative sector. It is observed that most of them are operating at a loss on account of various reasons. In some cases, there was undue time-lag between the initiation and the commissioning of the project due to unavoidable circumstances and this added to the capital cost. Many plants have taken a long time to 'develop the operations to their full installed capacity. While some efforts to introduce balancing plant have been made, the inherent problem of fluctuation in milk supply between the flush and the lean season continues.
Objectives and Outlays 8.25. As some of the existing dairy projects are operating at a loss, one of the principal tasks in the Fourth Plan is, to review the work of the projects and to take corrective measures. This will include changes in the milk pricing policy and introduction of modern management practices. The desirability of changing the management of public sector projects from departmental of corporate form will have to be pursued. it will also be necessary to establish a direct link between the small producers and the public sector milk plants through cooperative organisation. Dairy projects will need to be encouraged to take up extension work under their own auspices. At present, a number of dairy projects balance their operations by using imported milk powder. A phased programme is intended to be drawn up to increase production in the milk shed areas and gradually eliminate dependence on imported milk powder.
8.26. The organised sector of dairy industry will be extended to smaller towns with emphasis on milk production in the rural areas. Measures will be taken to ensure that dairy projects are economically viable and, as far as possible, organised in the cooperative sector.
8.27. The financing of dairy development will be based on three principal sources, namely Plan outlays, Institutional finance and counterpart funds generated by the sale of commodity gifts under the World Food Programme. As far as institutional sources are concerned, the Agricultural Refinance Corporation has already entered the field and financed one dairy project. Further suitable schemes will have to be formulated for financing by ARC. As regards the commodity gifts from the World Food Programme, details are given later. Briefly, it is expected that funds of the order of nearly Rs. 95.40 crores will be generated and will form part of the Plan outlays. On this basis, the total outlay under the Plan will be of the order of Rs. 138.97 crores. The break-up will be as follows:
TABLE 4 : Outlay on Dairying
sl. outlay
no. (Rs. crores)
(0) (1) (2)
1 states 39.77
2 union territories 1.95 3 central schemes 97.25*1
4 centrally sponsored schemes -
5 total 138.97
1*Includes an outlay of Rupees 95.00 crores provided for Indian
Dairy Corporation.
8.28. In the Fourth Plan, the first priority will be to complete' the dairy schemes numbering 33 which spill over from the earlier period. In addition, organised dairy industry will be extended by taking up 24 'new' schemes in towns with a population of about 50,000. Further more, four milk product factories are proposed to be established. In addition, 64 rural dairy centres will be organised in areas with a population of less than 50,000 with a view to providing chilling and marketing facilities in isolated pockets of milk production.
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8.29. The Government of India with the cooperation of the World Food Programme have formulated a project for stimulating milk marketing and dairy development. Under this project, the World Food Programme will supply free of cost during the next five years in a phased programme, 1.2 lakh tonnes of skimmed milk powder and 42,000 tonnes of butter oil at the international valuation of Rs. 41.90 crores which, when reconstituted into liquid milk by the four public sector dairies of Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi and Madras, will generate funds worth about Rs. 95.40 crores. These generated funds will be used for investment in increased milk processing facilities, improved breeding, feeding and management of milch animals. As a result of these steps, the production of milk in the milk shed areas of these plants will be stepped up so that by the time the supply of imported milk powder is tapered off, the level of supply from the dairies will be sustained through increased local milk production.
8.30. The project will also set up additional storage and transport facilities for balancing seasonal and regional variations in milk production. It is envisaged that about one lakh high-yielding milch animals along with their calves would be salvaged from the metropolitan cities. The project will further help in the economic growth and stability of the rural milk producers in 10 States and in the Union Territory of Delhi which constitute the four dairy zones of milk supply for the four major dairy plants. Similar programmes will be under taken in smaller 'towns and their milk shed areas with a revolving fund which will be created in the course of implementation of the project. For its efficient management, the Government of India will set up a new company which will work in collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board.
Milk Producers' Cooperatives 8.31. Except for a small percentage maintained in the urban areas, the rest of the milch animals are kept in villages often by small producers owning two or three animals. The hope of accomplish- ing general improvement in the production and marketing of milk would depend substantially on the extent of effectiveness of the organisation of these scattered and small units of production. For this purpose, stress was laid in the Third Plan on the organisation of a network of producers' cooperatives. Their total number is at present over 8,000. In some States, these cooperatives have had a fair amount of success. In the Fourth Plan, further efforts would be made towards strengthening and development of milk producers' cooperatives in two directions. First, the pattern of organisation of primary milk producers cooperatives would need modification. It is observed that the size of many of the existing societies is small, consequently the society is unable to undertake investment in special equipment for chilling. Apart from reorganisation of primary societies as viable units, with a minimum collect on of 500 liters of milk per day on an average, it will be necessary to work towards a progressive cooperativisation of Government milk plants, so that the entire chain of operations from milk collection to transport, pasteurisation and distribution gets integrated.
Research 8.32. The National Dairy Research Institute. Karnal was transferred to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in October, 1967. The existing research facilities are proposed to be expanded with the addition of new divisions of dairy cattle genetics, physiology and nutrition and dairy economics. With the production of edible case in from skimmed milk through a simple process, not only has wasteful diversion of valuable milk protein been avoided, but the dairy industry has made a positive economic gain. Further investigations will be undertaken for the economic utilisation of whey (from the manufacture of cheese) for the production of yeast protein which can be used directly as cattle feed or, after processing, as human food. Coordinated multi-disciplinary research projects are also proposed with the object of increasing the productivity of dairy cattle and improving the economics of milk production.
III
FISHERIES 8.33. In the Third Plan and in the succeeding Annual Plans, the main objectives of the fisheries programme were increase in production and development of export potential in fish and fish products. There has been perceptible progress in attaining these objectives. Fish production increased from 0.96 million tonnes in 1961 to about 1.4 million tonnes in 1968. The value of exports rose from about Rs. 4 crores (pre-devaluation) to about Rs. 18 crores in 1967-68. The pattern of export of fish and fish products has undergone a change during this period. The main development in exports related to frozen prawns in place of cured fish.
8.34. There has been considerable progress with mechanisation in the fishing industry. About 5700 mechanised boats were brought into operation during 1961-69. A beginning was made in the development of fishing harbors. A programme of 16 small harbors was initiated during the Third Plan and the provision of landing and berthing facilities for mechanised boats has Since been taken up at 30 other sites. A beginning has also been made in the construction of major fishing harbors.
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8.35. Fisheries Corporations have been set up in some States for deep sea fishing and export and for development of inland water areas. In addition, a Central Fisheries Corporation was set up in 1966 to promote regulated marketing of fish. In general, these Corporations have been facing initial difficulties in implementing their programmes. Considerable progress has been achieved in fisheries education and training. In 1961, the Central Institute of Fisheries Education was established at Bombay. Two Regional Institutes were established in 1968 at Agra and Hyderabad for training operatives for inland fisheries. A Central Institute of Marine Fisheries Operatives was set up at Cochin in 1968 and has since been supplemented by a unit at Madras. In 1967, the Fisheries Research Institutes were transferred to the I.C.A.R.
Objectives and Targets 8.36. In the Fourth Plan, fisheries development has three main objectives, namely, increase in fish production to meet protein requirements, development of export potential and improvement in the economy of fishermen. It is contemplated that the demand for fish is likely to grow at a rate of over 6 per cent per annum. However, keeping in view various constraints the target for production in the final year of the Fourth Plan has been fixed at 1.97 million tonnes as against a base level of 1.50 million tonnes in 1968-69.
8.37. Until recently, the fisheries development programme was financed exclusively by direct Plan outlays. Towards the end of 1967. the Agricultural Refinance Corporation included fisheries in the scope of its activities and has since financed 5 schemes. The Industrial Development Bank of India has also agreed to give loans to operators of fishing fleets. In the Fourth Plan period suitable schemes are ex- pected to be drawn up for making use of institutional finance in addition to the following outlays provided in the Plan itself :
TABLE 5 Outlay on Fisheries
sl. outlay
no. (Rs. crores)
(0) (1) (2)
1 states 44.88
2 union territories 4.43
3 central sector 28.00
4 centrally sponsored schemes 6.00
5 total 83.31
Development of Inland Fisheries 8.38. The country has extensive inland fishery resources. The available culturable water area, the area that can be rendered suitable for sweet water fish farming and the area which can be developed for brackish water fish farming are estimated at 1.62 million hectares 0.65 million hectares and 2.02 million hectares respectively. So far, only about 0.61 million hectares of inland waters have been partially utilised. Development of inland fisheries is particularly significant for the rural economy of States such as West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. While some progress 'has been made in the development of inland fisheries, many problems still remain, Among vie major problems are the inadequacy of seed supplies and technological difficulties in brackish water farming.
8.39. The Fourth Plan programmes provide for production and supply of fish seed, reclamation of derelict water areas for fish farming and development of reservoir fisheries. The programme is to increase fish seed production by 500 million of additional fry and fingerlings for stocking of inland waters. An additional nursery area of about 900 hectares is proposed to be constructed as against an area of about 550 hectares available at the end of the Third Plan. It is also proposed to bring an area of 30,300 hectares under intensive pisciculture and develop reservoirs covering an area of 0.3 million hectares. Another important programme to be taken up is the stocking of an area of 6000 hectares of brackish water with suitable species. While inland fishery has ample potential, it also has certain limi- tations. In several areas it takes the form of part-time individual fish farming and has handicaps in the matter of modernisation. There are also difficulties in the introduction of modern management techniques on a long term, basis because, in several areas, fishing leases are limited to short period. in the light of all these considerations, it is envisaged that inland fish production in the country will increase in the Fourth Plan period by about 33,000 tonnes from a base level of 541,000.
Development of Marine Fisheries 8.40 The natural resources available for development of marine fisheries are large and varied. The continental shelf has an area of 0.16 million hectares in the form of a narrow belt. Exploratory surveyes indicate availability of 0.6 million tonnes of fish and prawns from the coastal belt up to 40 fathoms. The Indian Ocean with an area of 72.52 million sq. km. is the least exploited of oceans. In the Fourth Plan there will be increased stress on marine fisheries particularly deep sea fishing. At present except for about 5 per cent the entire marine fish production comes from the inshore belt. By the end of 1968-69, it is estimated that about 7800 mechanised boats will have been introduced. An addition of 5500 mechanised boats is contemplated. These will be partly financed by Plan outlays and partly by investment from the private sector.
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Deep Sea Fishing 8.41. In the marine sector, offshore and deep sea fishing trawlers, lack of infrastructure, insufficient past due to non- availability of requisite number of fishing trawlers, lack of intfrastructure, insufficient facilities of storage and distribution and lack of information on fishing grounds. Necessary credit facilities to private entrepreneurs were also not forthcoming Efforts will be made to rectify these short comings. It is proposed to introduce 300 fishing trawlers to be operated by private companies, co-operatives and State fisheries corporations. To assist this programme, the Industrial Development Bark of India has agreed to provide deferred payment facilities for the indigenous trawlers. Assistance will be available from Plan funds by way of subsidy towards the cost of such trawlers so that these are able to complete with imported trawlers. Introduction of larger vessels is likely to be accelerated from the second or third year of the Plan when shore facilities will be available. Investigation connected with deep sea fishing with special reference to fishing methods, fishing craft and charting of fishing grounds will continue to be undertaken by the deep Sea Fishing Station. Indo-Norwegian Project, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology and the Central Marine Fisheries Research institute. A survey is also proposed to be undertaken with UNDP assistance into the deep sea fishery resources.