Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said that the state government would provide buffaloes at subsided rates to two lakh dairy farmers to increase milk production in the state.

Mr Rao announced an incentive of Rs 4 per litre for farmers supplying milk to cooperative society dairies on par with the government-owned Vijaya Dairy.

Mr Rao said the state required one crore litres of milk a day, but the dairies were producing only seven lakh litres, making the state heavily dependent on imports from other states. He was speaking at a meeting with milk producers at Pragathi Bhavan.

Mr Rao said that the government would come out with a scheme for the development of the sector in which dairy farmers from Vijaya Dairy Development Society, Mu-lkanur Dairy Develop-ment Society, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy District Dairy Development Soci-eties will be given top priority.

He said the government through dairy development societies will provide 50 per cent subsidy for dairy farmers for buying a buffalo and 75 per cent subsidy for SC/STs within two months.

“Karnataka is supplying 6 lakh litres, AP 4 lakh and Gujarat 2 lakh litres to Telangana state every day. This situation should change. There is a need to bring about milk revolution. I will personally formulate the scheme,” Mr Rao said.

He said the government was committed to improving each and every sector in the state with innovative and practical schemes.

“Though there are 35 lakh Yadav and Kuruma families, we are importing meat from other states. There are 40 lakh Mudiraj and Bestha families, but about 40 truckloads of fish are being imported daily. Hyderabad is importing 650 truckloads of sheep. This is the reason we launched the sheep distribution scheme at a cost of Rs 4,000 crore,” Mr Rao said.

“We are implementing the distribution of fingerlings to Mudiraj and Bestha families. The aim is to make the state self-sufficient in its demand for meat and fish besides exporting to other states and abroad,” the CM said.