The Union government has decided to provide free laptops,along with internet facility,to dairy farmer educators in milk co-operatives in Ludhiana district. The project,at a cost of Rs 3.69 crore,is set to benefit 400 milk societies in the district. In addition to the laptops,the educators will also be paid a salary. The laptops will be loaded with the software of the National Dairy Plan which will then be used to educate farmers about various aspects of dairy farming. For example,the educator can provide farmers with details of the quantity of feed that should be goven to their animals,as overfeeding is a common problem in Punjab,said Ajmer Singh Lakhowal,chairman of the local Verka milk plant. The educators will also have to enter data including details of the number of farmers visited and the recommendations passed on. Ajmer Singh said the information can be accessed by the Verka milk plant and the dairy development board and this will help in monitoring the work of the educators. On Friday,the plant distributed 12 laptops to village boys chosen as educators who have been trained in operating the system. The idea behind the project is to reduce costs for the farmers and improve the general health of the animals,Lakhowal said. The milk plant will bear the cost of the monthly internet package while Rs 1,000 per month will be given to the educator by the co-operative societies. Farmers not linked to the Verka co-operative society and who want to avail this facility,will be charged Rs 10.
