Indian Army Shuts Down All Military Farms Across India

The Indian Army closed all the military farms across the country on Wednesday. All the military farm officers and workers would continue to serve the nation. During the closing ceremony of the farms in Delhi, Lieutenant General Shashank Mishra said: “The military farm is ending its services. After 132 years of serving the military farms were shut down,” said the Indian Army

The farms were set up to supply hygienic cow milk to the troops in various garrisons across India. Military farms were even established in Leh and Kargil in the late 1990s, with an aim to supply fresh milk to the troops in those areas on a daily basis. Military farms supplied 3.5 crore liters of milk and 25000 MT of hay yearly. There were over 1,000 employees who were maintaining 39 farms spread across 20,000 acres. Army maintained over 25,000 cows

The farms are credited for cattle and the introduction of organized dairying in India, providing yeoman service during the 1971 war, supplying milk at the Western and Eastern war fronts as well as during the Kargil operations to the Northern Command.

History of the military farm

The first farm was established on February 1, 1889, in Allahabad

By the time India got independence, it had 130 such farms.

Verghese Kurien had started the Operation Flood in 1970.”