Kochi, March 6 : Popularisation of ethno-veterinary medicines has helped substantially reduce antibiotic use in the dairy sector by almost 84 per cent and resulted in sharp reduction of the overall cattle treatment cost, said the Chairman of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Meenesh C. Shah, on Monday while taking part in a meeting at Kozhikode. Shah, who is also a director and board member of the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI, said this while speaking at a function at the headquarters of Malabar Regional Co-operative Milk Producers Union (MRCMPU). Shah noted that ethno-veterinary medicines launched by Malabar Milma has set a model for the dairy sector establishments, including Amul, and they should be made available in all Indian states. At the National Startup Conclave organised by the Central government in Hyderabad on February 28, the ethno-veterinary medicine manufacturing initiative was selected as India's best startup in the dairy sector. Only three institutions, including Malabar Milma from the cooperative dairy sector, were chosen for the conference. Among those who arrived for the meeting included NCDFI Chairman Mangal Jit Rai, and Amul Chairman, Shamalbhai B Patel. /IANS