Gujarat gets ready to script country’s first livestock policy

AHMEDABAD: After ushering in the ���milk revolution��� in the sub-continent, Gujarat is all set to give the country its first Livestock Policy. Aiming to increase the consumption of protein from current 10 gm to 20 gm per day among Indians over a decade, the policy also intends to organised the scattered dairy, livestock and poultry sectors in the state and enhance the supplementary income of rural farmers and strengthen their self-sustenance capabilities.

India produces 101 million tonnes of milk and 50.7 billion eggs annually. With a view to promote livestock, the Union government had sent a draft policy to all states. Acting promptly, the Gujarat government has begun drafting the framework of Livestock Policy. The state expects to implement the policy within the next six months.

ET has learnt from the director of Gujarat animal husbandry director A J Kachhiya Patel, ���Against the WHO prescribed norm of consuming 25 gm of protein daily, Indians take a mere 10 gm. The new policy intends to bring about a change in our lifestyles.���

While Gujarat leads in the country in milk production, it lags behind in consumption of eggs. Against the country���s average of 252 gm milk production daily, Gujarat contributes 386 gm per head per day. The national average of egg consumption is 47 eggs annually while Gujarat���s per capita consumption of egg is mere 15.

Patel said the policy would lay emphasis on increasing the productivity of animals. For this, stress would be laid on improving breed, livestock health management, disease control, quality of fodder, infrastructure and technology and developing processing, marketing, quality control, insurance and human resource.

According to agriculture minister Dilip Sanghani, the livestock policy would act as the model policy for other states. The contribution of livestock in the GDP in 2002-03 was 5.4%. In the 11th Five-year Plan its contribution is targeted at 6%. The contribution of livestock in agriculture GDP was 13.8% in 1980 which increased to 23.8% in 2002-03 and to 25% in 2008.

The state government has formed a working committee comprising of former vice chancellors of agriculture universities in the state, dean of veterinary colleges, representatives of the district milk cooperatives, director of animal husbandry and experts in the areas of poultry to formulate the livestock policy.