Alka Upadhyaya, Animal Husbandry Secretary, Government of India, has highlighted the need to ensure sustainable feed and fodder production for the development of the livestock sector.
Ms. Upadhyaya, who chaired a regional review meeting for southern States and Union Territories on animal husbandry and dairy sectors at Kovalam on Friday, emphasised the need to promote value-added fodder technologies like silage making and the Ration Balancing Programme, which focuses on balanced feeding of dairy animals.
She also stressed the need for a task force for feed and fodder production through optimum utilisation of available land and the promotion of value-added fodder technologies.
Senior Animal Husbandry officials from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands attended the review.
Ms. Upadhyaya urged States to accelerate vaccination programmes, pointing out that the protection of livestock through the provision of healthcare is a major thrust area for the department. The country’s livestock sector grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.67% during 2014-15 to 2021-22 at constant prices. Further, the sector’s contribution in 2021-22 in the total agriculture and allied sector Gross Value Added (GVA) at constant prices stood at 30.19%, she said.
Minister for Animal Husbandry J. Chinchurani, Pranab Jyoti Nath, Secretary of Kerala Animal Husbandry department, Animal Husbandry department director A. Kowsigan, and Kerala Livestock Development Board (KLDB) managing director Dr R. Rajeev, also attended the meeting.
