STATES URGED TO IMPROVE QUALITY
OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS TO MEET WTO CHALLENGES
The Agriculture Minister,
Shri Ajit Singh has called upon the States to improve the quality
of livestock and livestock products in order to effectively meet
the challenges of WTO regime. He was addressing the Conference
of State Ministers of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries
here today. He said the potential for export of the dairy products
cannot be exploited without meeting the international quality
standards and sanitary and phytosanitary requirements. This required
strengthening of institutional and legal framework, the Minister
observed.
Shri Ajit Singh said
the regulatory mechanism for the import and export of livestock
and livestock products has been given appropriate legal support
by amending the Livestock Importation Act but the absence of a
uniform legislation for the control of movement of livestock across
the country is proving to be a handicap for effective control
of diseases. The Minister informed the Conference that the Infectious
and Contagious Diseases Act was in the final stages of approval
and sought the cooperation of the States in implementing the regulatory
measures under this Act for effective disease control. He said
three out the four zones of the country have been rendered free
of Rinderpest disease.
Expressing concern
over inadequate availability and management of resources in the
livestock sector, Shri Ajit Singh sought the cooperation of the
States in promoting capital formation and resource mobilisation
in the sector which has to make a significant contribution to
realise the Tenth Five Year Plan growth rate of 4 per cent per
year in the agriculture sector. He said since the crop sector
is stagnating at 2 per cent growth rate, livestock and fisheries
sector has to grow at the rate of 8 per cent per year. The National
Livestock Policy would soon be finalised after the receipt of
the inputs from the states, the Minister announced.
India has 57 per
cent of world’s buffalo population besides 15 per cent of cattle,
51 million sheep, 115 million goats and 12.8 million pigs. Livestock
and fisheries sector is contributing 7.35 per cent of the GDP.
Income from livestock accounts for 30 to 50 per cent of rural
household income. Shri Ajit Singh informed that the five yearly
Livestock Census will be conducted during this year.
