Livestock Economy of India

Livestock sector plays a crucial role in sustaining rural economy and livelihood, a sector in which poor contribute directly to the economic growth. There is an impressive steady growth of around 6% in this sector in India, the significant feature being the role of women in animal husbandry. For a more balanced development of the rural economy and reduction of poverty, a remarkable progress in this sector is a national requirement. A happy situation is the shift in the consumption pattern — more of livestock products like milk, meat, fish and eggs. This demand-driven growth has shown a massive increase in demand for foods of animal origin. Clearly this increased demand will drastically stretch the existing production and distribution systems in near future. Since productivity is the key to growth, livestock productivity will have to be raised through scientific breeding, feeding and management. The scenario calls for formulation of long-term policies by the government and significant investments in the industry. For a sustained economic growth in the rural sector, animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries and poultry should receive a high priority in planning. This will generate not only economic wealth but also self-employment and entrepreneurship. It is unfortunate that with such an importance of livestock in the Indian economy, the sector has received a step-motherly treatment, whether the issue relates to investment, development or research. It has remained an adjunct of agriculture without any individual identity of its own. The present study is the first attempt ever in this direction to come up with a comprehensive volume comprising 30 chapters. It covers all the sub-sectors within the broad definition of livestock — cattle, dairy, poultry, ruminants and fisheries. It provides an analytical evaluation of a vast quantity of data on all aspects of livestock sector at one place. With its comprehensive coverage, the book will meet the demands not only of a vast majority of students and researchers, but also the policy-makers and all those interested in the livestock economy of India in India and abroad.