Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Agriculture

05-February-2013 16:57 IST

Ministers for Animal Husbandry, dairying and fisheries of all States and Union Territories are meeting here tomorrow to discuss measures for faster growth of this important sector. Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Minister Shri Sharad Pawar will inaugurate the state ministers’ conference.

The livestock sector has been showing healthy growth of more than 4% per annum in recent years and has the potential to grow even faster with new initiatives being taken in the XII Plan. This sector is important not only as the producer of highly nutritious food products, but also for sustenance of poor farmers and overall prosperity of the farming community.

The Conference will have focussed discussions on important subjects such as dairying, fisheries, animal diseases and fodder production etc. It will also discuss the long-pending draft National Livestock Policy that will guide sustainable growth of the entire livestock sector in the country.

Another important subject for discussion is the approach and strategy for livestock and fisheries sector for 12th Plan.

States and UTs would be requested to allocate more funds to the livestock and fisheries sector out of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) and make the best use of flexibility provided to them under RKVY in initiating projects to suit their specific needs.

There will also be discussion on The National Dairy Plan, a mega programme for fast growth of dairy sector. Its first phase is to be implemented over the next six years in 14 major milk producing States. These states together constitute 90% of the country’s milk production. These are: Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Kerala.

Fodder production remains a high-priority area necessary for development of livestock sector. The Conference will deliberate on ways to produce sufficient quantity of improved fodder seed. States will be urged to upscale production of quality fodder seed using resources available under various schemes. Besides the State funds, RKVY funds can be utilized for this purpose. Specifically, funds from the Fodder and Feed Development Scheme should be used by the States for augmenting availability of fodder seed. This scheme also provides for contract farming and buy-back arrangements, which are suitable instruments for incentivizing farmers for growing fodder varieties for the purpose of seed production.

Not only the coastal states, but other states with high potential for aquaculture will deliberate on matters such as production of fish-seed, cold chain development, production of high-value species such as prawns, and matters relating to fishermen and fish-farmers.

MP:DS:CP:stateminister conference (5.2.2013)

Livestock sector growth: conference urges state fund reallocation and programme measures to boost dairy and fisheries development. The conference directs states to reallocate and utilize available agricultural development scheme funds and programme flexibility to accelerate livestock sector growth, guided by the draft National Livestock Policy and implementation of the National Dairy Plan; it emphasizes scaling up improved fodder seed production via state action and the Fodder and Feed Development Scheme (including contract farming and buy-back), and enhancing aquaculture through fish-seed production, cold chain development and promotion of high-value species.