Animal Rearing

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Why in News?
Recently, the Prime Minister launched the National Animal Disease Control
Programme, to control and eradicate the Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) and
Brucellosis amongst the livestock in the country, at Mathura.

National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP)

The following are the aims of NADCP programme:

To vaccinate over 600 million cattle in the country in an effort to mitigate the above
mentioned diseases.
To aim at vaccinating 36 million female bovine calves annually in its fight against
the brucellosis disease.
To control the livestock diseases by 2025, and eradicate by 2030.

The livestock that will be covered under the programme includes cattle, buffalo, sheep,
goats, and pigs against the FMD and it will be fully funded by the Central government.

What is Animal/Livestock Rearing?

Animal rearing is considered an associate business with agricultural activities in
rural India. Animal husbandry is an integral component of Indian agriculture,
supporting livelihood of almost 55% of the rural population.
India is the highest livestock owner of the world.
The livestock sector alone contributes nearly 25.6% of value of output at current
prices of total value of output in agriculture, fishing & forestry sector. The overall
contribution of livestock sector in total GDP is nearly 4.11% at current prices during
2012-13, as per the 19th livestock census of 2012.

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 The objective of animal rearing is to make the livestock useful for human beings for a
variety of purposes, many of which have an economic value. Therefore, it has a big
potential for providing non-farm employment and income in rural areas.

Significance of Animal Rearing

It is well recognized that humans depend upon animals for income, employment,
food, social security, fuel (dung cakes), cultural aspects and a variety of other
reasons.
The animal production system in India is principally part of a mixed crop-livestock
farming system and important for the security and survival of large number of poor
populace.
This production system assumes special significance in economic growth, increasing
income, increasing urbanization, changes in taste and preference that have led to
nutritional changes reflecting the importance of milk, meat, egg and fish in the daily
diets of the people.
Animal rearing has multidimensional potential. For instance, Operation Flood,
launched in 1970, helped dairy farmers direct their own development, increased milk
production ("a flood of milk"), augmented rural incomes and ensuring reasonable
prices for consumers

Key to Poverty Reduction Strategies

It provides self-employment to millions of people especially rural households.
It has contributed significantly to the empowerment of women and has increased
their income and role in society.
It is a major risk mitigation approach for small and marginal farmers, particularly
across the rain-fed regions of India.
It is at the centre of poverty alleviation programs from equity and livelihood
standpoints.
It is faster than many other sectors of agriculture and continuing this trend will
contribute as main sector for development of Indian economy.
Livestock productivity has been identified as one of the seven sources of income
growth by the Inter-Ministerial Committee under the government’s target of
doubling of farmers’ income by the year 2022.

The Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship

of Chief Executive Officer, National Rainfed Area Authority, Department of
Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare to examine issues relating to doubling of
farmers’ income and recommend a strategy to achieve doubling of farmers’ income in real
terms by the year 2022.

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Constraints of Livestock Development
Incapability of central and state governments to deliver the promised and
expected results.
Non-availability of superior quality breeding bulls.
Poor quality of semen produced by many of the laboratories.
Inadequate skills of paravets resulting in poor conception and infertility.
Inadequate support for paravets for supply of liquid nitrogen, frozen semen, health
care and technical guidance.
Shortage of fodder resources.
Absence of field oriented conservation strategy for indigenous breeds.
Lack of coordination among various agencies engaged in livestock husbandry.
Poor extension services to motivate small farmers to adopt dairy husbandry for
income generation.
Ineffective control of animal diseases.
Lack of skills and quality services to farmers for improving productivity.

Measures to Promote Livestock Sector

Increasing commercialization of livestock products by improving technologies,
increasing market connectivity, processing and storage centre, training etc.
Making provision for adequate availability of quality fodder.
Targeting a significant portion of cultivable land for growing fodder crops.
By setting up a consortium with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to fund
the dairy cooperatives.
Keeping a disaster management fund for livestock in case of natural calamities.
Cross breeding of indigenous species with exotic stocks to enhance genetic
potential of different species.
Encouraging Public-Private Partnership for sustainable livestock rearing.

Few Important Initiatives by the Government

Rashtriya Gokul Mission
To develop and conserve indegenous breeds of bovine population.
To enhance milk production and to make it more remunerative to the farmers.
National Livestock Mission
To ensure quantitative and qualitative improvement in livestock production
systems and capacity building of all stakeholders.

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 National Artificial Insemination Programme
To suggest novel methods of bringing about impregnation in female breeds
To prevent the spread of certain diseases which are genital in nature, thereby
enhancing the efficiency of the breed.
National Cattle and Buffalo Breeding Project
To genetically upgrade important indigenous breeds on priority basis with a
focus on development and conservation.
Animal Husbandry Startup Grand Challenge
To appreciate innovations coming from the villages to expand the dairy sector in
India.

Way Forward
There are many recommendations for livestock husbandry to enhance the performance of
various schemes. If implied with utmost priority, these advice can boost the production,
attract the landless and small farmers to take advantage of this sector for sustaining their
livelihood and make India competent in the global market.

For Mind Map

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