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LIVESTOCK OF INDIA

LIVESTOCK OF INDIA

Animal Husbandry is an important sub-sector of the Indian agricultural economy. India is blessed with a huge livestock population reared under diverse production systems and agroclimatic conditions. Livestock sector plays a multi-faceted role in providing livelihood support to more than 60% of the rural population in India and is significant for nutritional security of India. However, this live asset is facing a number of challenges, including scarcity of feed and fodder, disease outbreaks (lumpy skin disease), poor livestock extension and the unorganised markets for livestock products that demands serious attention to refocus our lens to view livestock health and productivity holistically.

Contribution of Livestock in the Indian Economy

• As per the Economic Survey-2021, the contribution of Livestock in total agriculture and allied sector Gross Value Added (at Constant Prices) has increased from 24.32% (2014-15) to 28.63% (2018-19).
• Employment and Gender Equality: Besides their monetary benefit and providing a steady stream of food and revenues for households, livestock provide employment to the rural family, act as insurance during crop failures and the number of livestock owned by a farmer determines the social status among the community.
• Enhance Soil Fertility: It generates in situ fertilisers for enhancing the soil fertility, and also recycles waste products and residues from cropping or agro-industries.

Current Challenges Related to Livestock in India

• Rising Animal Diseases: There has been an increase in communicable diseases among animals. Most recent is the outbreak of lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle across various states of India.
• Shortage of Feed and Fodder: Due to rapid urbanisation and shrinking land sizes (partition of land, generation after generation due to inheritance setup of India) the livestock sector is facing severe feed and fodder shortage.
• Inadequate Financial Attention: The livestock sector does not receive the policy and financial attention it deserves. The sector receives only about 12% of the total public expenditure on agriculture and allied sectors, which is disproportionately lesser than its contribution to agricultural GDP.
• Underdeveloped Product Market: Indian livestock product markets are mostly underdeveloped, uncertain, lack transparency and often dominated by informal market intermediaries.
• Issues Related to Cross-Breeding: Although, crossbred dairy cattle exhibit strengths of the breeds from which they descend, it does multiply their capacity of production but also adds vulnerability to several diseases, nutritional deficiencies, and environment adaptations.
• Impact of Climate Change on Livestock: Warm and humid conditions cause heat stress, which affects behaviour and metabolic variations on livestock or even mortality.

Solutions for the Livestock System

• Genetic Surveillance: Genetic Surveillance especially of viruses needs to be strengthened for livestock in India. As the lumpy skin disease outbreak continues to spread rapidly with high mortality, there is a need to scrutinise its genetic structure and analyse its behaviour to tackle this issue effectively.
• Unified Livestock Market: It is important to strengthen Industry-Farmer linkages in a variety of livestock products, as in case of dairy (Amul), to increase commercialization of livestock production and provide farmers with additional income security, so that they will also pay more attention to their livestock health.
• Indigenous Breed Gene Banks: It is important to preserve the indigenous breed due to its ability to adapt to diseases, fragile climatic conditions, and the nutritional value of its milk.
• Veterinary Ambulance Service and Compulsory Livestock Vaccination: In order to provide immediate primary treatment for injured animals, ambulance services should be expanded in veterinary hospitals.
• Towards One-Health Approach: There is a need to recognize One Health Approach and understand the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment and encourage collaborations in research and sharing of knowledge at multiple levels across various disciplines like human health, animal health, plants, soil, environmental and ecosystem that can help in health sustainability and tackling zoonotic diseases as well.