GADVASU workshop highlights impact of climate-resilient sheds on milk production

LUDHIANA: In continuation with the three-day workshop on climate change, participants were taken for a field visit to GADVASU in Ludhiana to apprise them of climate resilient livestock production programme.

Prabhat Katiyar

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 26

In continuation with the three-day workshop on climate change, participants were taken for a field visit to GADVASU in Ludhiana to apprise them of climate resilient livestock production programme.

Dr JPS Gill, Director (Research), GADVASU, said “Animals usually suffer from climate stress during April to October, which leads to decline in the milk productivity. But if they are supported through climate-resilient sheds, farmers can recover the loss.”

“Normally a decline in milk production is 15-20 per cent in adverse climate conditions. But with the climate-resilient sheds, the reduction will be 5-10 per cent,” said Dr Ravinder Singh Grewal, senior nutritionist, GADVASU.

Later, Lakhvir Kaur Dhaliwal, Professor, Agriculture (Meteorology), GADVASU, told about the monthly magazine of the university.

Participants visited a demonstration shed that has roof insulation to maintain temperature, apparatus to monitor temperature and humidity. The shed includes a fan and a water sprinkler system.

Later, mediapersons and students went to Kot Gangu Rai village in Ludhiana to have a look at the climate-resilient cattle shed set up by a farmer.

Dalbeer Singh, a farmer at the village, who has set up one such shed, said: “I had spent a sum of Rs 3.35 lakh on the construction of this shed. Out of the total amount spent on this project, I will get a subsidy of Rs 2.25 lakh,” he said.

Dalbeer said: “The shed was constructed in a period of 2 months. After the setting up of the shed, I have experienced an increase in the milk production and improvement in the health of cattle. More farmers are also coming forward to set up this shed".

A three-day workshop on climate change is being organised by the Centre for Media Studies (CMS) in partnership with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Punjab, and German Agency for International Cooperation.