Shri Sharad Pawar, Hon’ble Union Agriculture Minister, Government of India in his key note address informed the importance of the Animal Husbandry and Dairy sectors and its role in the national economy, with particular reference to the economic sustenance and income generation of the rural poor. He emphasized that this sector can be taken as one of the most potential sectors for growth. The growth pattern of this sector amply proves the hidden potential, which would require fullest exploitation through long-term planning. A growth rate of 6 to 8 per cent in the animal husbandry sector would be needed to attain a growth rate in excess of 4 percent per annum in the agriculture sector as a whole.
He expressed concern over the fact that despite having a rich and vast pool of animal genetic resources, not much has been done in the area of conservation and improvement of indigenous breeds. He drew attention to the fact that only 20% of the total cattle are cross-bred. He emphasized that focus has to be given on species like sheep, goat and pig also in the animal husbandry sector as these can play an important role in improving rural economy. He mentioned that in view of the emerging global scenario in the aftermath of the WTO regime and liberalized trade policies, stress has to be placed on cost of production and quality of milk produced in addition to productivity. He informed the participants about draft livestock policy formulated in the light of WTO regime and invited suggestions for improvising the policy so that it becomes a road map for promoting this sector.
Drawing the attention of the delegates towards increasing the productivity of milk, he emphasized the need for immediate up gradation of the genetic make-up of the huge population of nondescript cattle and buffaloes. He referred to the National Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding and the need to strengthen this programme by identifying deficiencies and taking effective steps apart from increasing its coverage. He also mentioned about the interim guidelines formulated for the import and export of cattle/buffalo germ plasm and invited suggestions for making it more effective.
Hon’ble Agriculture Minister also addressed the issue of improving the infrastructure to enhance milk productivity and milk quality. He highlighted that despite being the biggest producer of milk in the world, India’s productivity is one of the lowest. He urged the States to come up with suggestions for further enhancing the effectiveness of programme on clean milk production. He also raised the issue of availability of fodder and requested the State Governments to undertake long-term measures so that fodder cultivation becomes an integral part of the land use plan.
Drawing the attention of the delegates toward achieving higher growth in livestock sector, he emphasized the need for taking up better quality control and standards monitoring for feeds, vaccines, biologicals, semen and embryos. He would be happy to know of the measures already in place in the States in this regard. He hoped that the honorable delegates would also agree with him on the urgent need for close monitoring of programmes, if faster and higher growth rates were to be achieved.
Expressing his concern over the absence of a uniform legislation for control of movement of livestock across the country, he informed the participants that the ‘Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Bill’, which is in its final stages of approval, would further strengthen the regulatory mechanism and disease control efforts and requested the States to extend their whole hearted support to these regulatory measures.
The Hon’ble Agriculture Minister also made a reference to the new centrally sponsored scheme on Livestock Insurance, which has the objective of providing compensation to the farmers and landless labour in the event of loss of animals. He invited the views of the participants on the scheme.
Concluding his keynote address, he once again highlighted the need to boost growth in livestock and dairy sector so as to achieve a sustained growth in the rural economy. He also urged the State Governments to actively take up schemes under which women can be trained and given necessary skills to take up poultry and other livestock based enterprises. He called upon the delegates for their valuable suggestions and requested to contribute to the deliberations wholeheartedly.