Panaji, Aug 24 (IANS) Israel is keen on partnering with dairy industry majors in Goa to increase milk production in the state, an official here said Friday.
The state faces a dairy deficit of 40,000 litres per day.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji Friday, Abraham Yehuda, an India representative of Israel’s biggest dairy technology promoters AlefBet, said that rural tourism, another expertise of the Israeli company, had tremendous potential in Goa, which is well connected as well as had ample water.
“Goa has a huge dairy deficit, which can be overcome by use of modern dairy technology as well as good management of dairy practices,” Yehuda told reporters at an interaction organised by the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) as part of its programme to attract foreign investment to the state.
“AlefBet has designed 75 percent of the modern dairy farms in Israel. We have also utilised our cost effective dairy technology in Vietnam, South Africa, China. Goa’s weather is conducive for production of milk, if only technology is properly used,” he said.
Goa consumes 1.25 lakh litres of milk daily, while its daily production is only 85,000 litres. The shortfall is met with supplies from other milk producing centres like Belgaum and Dharwad regions of Karnataka and Kolkapur in Maharashtra.
“Rural tourism is another area they specialize in. An ecological village built with houses of naturally available raw materials, providing farm based recreational activities for children and local farm tours are amongst the various options they want to explore in Goa,” GCCI spokesperson, retired Air Commodore P.K. Pinto, said.
