NAGPUR: The number and kinds of challenges the livestock sector faces today are huge. But, all these challenges can be converted into opportunities provided livestock, along with other natural resources, are used judiciously.
Gurbachan Singh, the chairman of Agriculture Scientist Recruitment Board (ASRB) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), stated this while addressing the 6th convocation of Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University (Mafsu) on Wednesday at Vasantrao Deshpande Hall.
India has a huge spectrum of native breeds of cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, swine, equine, camel and poultry with merits of adaptability to climate and nutrition and resistance to diseases and stresses. But their population is falling at an alarming rate and hence there is a need to conserve them. Livestock and fishery contribute to 4.5 to 5% of total GDP and about 28-29% value of output from total agriculture and allied activities.
Livestock sector is facing challenges like low productivity, inadequate and degradation of natural resources, climate change, knowledge gap, and inadequate infrastructure for marketing, processing, value addition and issues related to bio-security and sustainability.
While achieving sustainable production targets, the livestock sector is facing scarcity of feed and fodder, animal diseases, degradation of natural resources, mainly due to climate change. To address these challenges, National Livestock Policy was implemented by the Central government in 2013. The primary focus of the policy is on increasing livestock productivity and production, preserving animal bio-diversity, ensuring bio-security and farmers' livelihood.
Singh emphasized on the shortage of human resource in veterinary, dairy and fishery sectors for teaching, research and extension. Currently, the country is able to meet only 50% manpower requirement, he stated.
Earlier, while delivering the welcome speech, Mafsu Vice Chancellor A K Misra listed the achievements in education, extension, research, engineering and human resource development. Stressing on research, he said the university was running projects from various departments funded to about Rs13.96 crore and had completed projects worth Rs29.04 in the past five years. ICAR has given Rs5.72 crore till last year under tribal sub plan.
Director instruction and dean faculty of veterinary science, and director research Dr DR Kalore, director extension & training Dr NN Zade, registrar Dr Sampat Khilari, controller of examination Dr SV Upadhaye, dean faculty of fishery science Dr RS Dalvi and dean faculty of dairy technology AB Kadu were present.
