N.Z. Helping To Supply Indians With Milk

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 15 May 1961, Page 12

N.Z. Helping To Supply Indians With Milk

New Zealand was helping India to raise its living standards by building milk treatment plants to supply fresh milk to the people of the cities, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in India (Mr M. V. Krishnappa) said in Christchurch last evening. In New Zealand to study the dairy industry, Mr Krishnappa is visiting this country as part of a world tour that takes in Malaya, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel. “When we became free 14 years ago we had no milk treatment plants at all. Now we have 33. “Under the Colombo Plan New Zealand has helped us to build five of these plants,” he said. Buffalo Milk Most of the milk sent to the treatment plants came from buffaloes—“about 70 or 80 per cent.”—and the rest came from cows and son's Mr Krishnappa said buffalo milk contained about 8 per cent fat. but this was broken down at the plants to 3 5 per cent “We do this by adding milk powder, most of it imported from New Zealand. “This enables us to supply milk at low prices to the people of India.” He said India's population was 440 million and was increasing at the rate of seven to eight million every year. "Our neonle are underfed but with the heln of New Zealand we are able to build up these milk treatment projects.” Mr Krishnapna said this help given by New Zealand would in the long run benefit both countries. Industrialisation India was now concentrating on industrialisation under its third five-year nlan. This took in heavy industry. iron and steel, motor manufacturing, textiles and fertiliser, he said. “This means our people will be able to earn more and in turn purchase more

: food. “India will be a good future market for New Zealand.” Mr Krishnappa said that in becoming highly industrialised India would earn more overseas money and this would help feed the country's undernourished people. “In this task we appreciate the help given by the Government and people of New Zealand and we thank both for their kind help.” He said New Zealand was also giving India "technical know-how" to help the milk treatment projects by sending experts to work on the spot. Delhi’s milk treatment scheme was mainly a New ! Zealand contribution and it was working extremely well. “The scheme has to help feed Delhi's five million pop- , illation—that is more than , you have in the whole of '■ New Zealand.” ; Mr Krishnappa said that many of those now helpi ing run milk treatment plants - in India were “Indian boys i who came here to Massey ■ and Lincoln.” All but one of his country’s > milk treatment plants were . run by the Government, but it was planned that eventu- ■ ally the plants would become ■ co-operatives. “The one co-operative we have is being built tip by a young man who trained in i New,Zealand.” he said. The cows in India were mostly a Jersey cross-breed ' Jersey cows had been crossed I with local breeds.