DW BUREAU / Chandigarh Coming once again to the rescue of the dairy industry suffering due to the lockdown imposed owing to covid-19 pandemic, Verka has decided to reduce the rates of animal feed second time in two months. Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said that the rates of animal feed have been reduced to the tune of Rs 80-100 per quintal, thus giving a major relief to the farming sector. The move would accrue benefit of Rs 3 lakh daily to the milk producers. Detailing further, Randhawa said that Verka has started the procurement of maize directly from the grain markets. This direct purchase has lead to not only the top quality maize being acquired by Verka but the farmers also have started to get reasonable rates for their produce. The minister also added that the quality of the feed is not compromised owing to the reduction in prices of animal feed. The good quality of feed in turn results in keeping intact the productivity factor in the milch animals. He also elaborated that the milk producers form the backbone of the stupendous success that Verka has achieved over the years and also, the dairy industry has been the major benefactor as the allied occupation of the agriculture. He assured the milk producers that despite the less revenue receipts to the government due to covid crisis, the State Government is paying full attention to protecting the interests of the farming community. The Chairman, Milkfed Captain Harminder Singh on the occasion, said that Verka always keeps the interests of the farmers at heart and the glorious tradition would continue. Not only does, Verka purchases the milk produced by the milk producers but also provides quality animal feed on the reasonable rates. Verka also provides assistance of the technical nature to the farmers such as medical facility for the animals of the dairy farmers, medicines at reasonable rates, good quality semen, top quality seed. MD, Milkfed, Kamaldeep Singh Sangha said that the corona pandemic has posed new challenges to the every industry including the dairy sector. In this hour of need, Verka came forward to mitigate the lot of dairy farmers and reduced the rates of animal feed first in May and now again after two months. Sangha also said that during the lockdown period, Verka procured the milk from the milk producers far in excess of its capacity thus saving the dairy industry and the dairy farmers. Both the animal feed plants of Verka located at Khanna in Ludhiana District and Ghania Ke Bangar in Gurdaspur District, also worked to their optimum capacity and provided the high quality animal feed for the milch animals of the farmers. All these measures have been taken in full accordance with the instructions issued at the regular intervals by the Punjab Government. (editor@dailyworld.in)