Mains Practice Questions

Approach:

• Introduce the significant contributions of India's livestock sector.
• Delve multifaceted economic contributions of India's livestock sector within the socio-economic framework like poverty, income etc of the country.
• Highlight the government initiatives taken related to India's livestock sector.
• Conclude positively.

Introduction

India's livestock sector, encompassing animals like cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and poultry, forms the backbone of rural livelihoods and significantly contributes to the socio-economic fabric of the nation. According to the 20th Livestock Census, India has vast resources of livestock population amounting to around 535.78 million showing an increase of 4.6% over Livestock Census 2012.

Body

Multifaceted Contributions of India's livestock sector:

• GDP and Employment:
  • The livestock sector contributes significantly to India's GDP. The contribution of livestock in total agriculture and allied sector Gross Value Added (GVA) has increased from 24.38 per cent (2014-15) to 30.19 per cent (2021-22)
  • This sector provides livelihood security for millions of small and marginal farmers, particularly landless households, where livestock rearing is often the primary source of income.
• Nutritional Security:
  • Livestock play a vital role in ensuring nutritional security by providing essential protein, milk, and eggs.
  • The per capita availability of milk is 459 grams per day in India during 2022-23 as against the world average of 322 grams per day in 2022 (Food Outlook June 2023).
    • This dietary diversity is crucial for child development and overall public health.
• Income Generation and Women Empowerment:
  • Livestock rearing, particularly of smaller animals like poultry and goats, requires minimal land and investment, making it ideal for marginal farmers and women.
  • Income generation through milk sales empowers women, fostering financial independence and contributing to household well-being.
• Valuable Byproducts and Sustainability:
  • Livestock provides valuable byproducts like manure, which serves as a natural fertilizer, promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
  • Biogas generated from dung can be used as a clean energy source in rural areas.

Government Initiatives Related to India's Livestock Sector:

• Breed Improvement and Infrastructure Development:
  • Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM):
    • It focuses on developing and conserving indigenous bovine breeds. It promotes artificial insemination, sex-sorted semen technology, and DNA-based genomic selection for improved breeding practices.
    • Additionally, it aims to identify and register livestock for better traceability.
  • National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD):
    • It aims to enhance milk quality by building cold chain infrastructure and strengthening processing facilities.
    • It supports dairy cooperatives by providing financial assistance for infrastructure upgrades and capacity building.
  • Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF):
    • It offers loans and interest subventions for establishing dairy processing and value-addition units, boosting milk processing capacity and product diversification.
  • Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF):
    • It incentivizes investments in dairy, meat processing, animal feed plants, and breed improvement infrastructure for cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, and pigs.
• Enhancing Livestock Health and Productivity:
  • National Livestock Mission (NLM):
    • It aims to provide direct subsidies for setting up poultry farms, sheep and goat breeding units, piggeries, and feed & fodder facilities.
    • This promotes entrepreneurship, employment generation, and increased production of meat, eggs, and wool.
  • Livestock Health and Disease Control (LH&DC) Programme:
    • It focuses on preventing and controlling animal diseases through vaccination campaigns. It ear-tags animals for identification and tracks vaccination coverage.
  • Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) for Dairy Farmers:
    • It provides dairy farmers associated with cooperatives and milk producer companies with access to credit for farm improvements and working capital needs.

Conclusion:

India's livestock sector plays a multifaceted role in the socio-economic development of the country. By addressing existing challenges and implementing effective government initiatives, this sector can continue to be a source of livelihood security, nutritional security, and economic growth for millions of Indians.