Role of Veterinarians and Livestock Sector for “Viksit Bharat@2047”

Team Pashudhan Praharee

November 24, 2024

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Role of Veterinarians and Livestock Sector for “Viksit Bharat@2047”

Dr. Md. Moin Ansari

University Professor & Head

Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology

Bihar Veterinary College, Patna-14.

Email: drmoin7862003@gmail.com

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Abstract

Key words: Livestock industry, Viksit Bharat, Veterinarians, 2047, India

Introduction

Veterinarians are at the forefront in tapping new opportunities, tackling emerging challenges of disease prevention, zoonotic diseases, antibiotic resistance, and ensuring animal welfare management in livestock populations both domestically and globally. Veterinarians are the only doctors who are educated to protect the health of both animals and people. They use medical tools and diagnostic equipment to diagnose and treat injuries and illnesses in animals. By adopting comprehensive vaccination schedule, developing biosecurity protocols, veterinarians are helping to prevent and control the outbreak of diseases that can lead to a global food crisis and disrupt commercial interests. ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ is roadmap of Government of India to make India a completely developed nation by 2047, i.e., 100 years after independence. It needs inclusive economic participation from all the Indians to make India world’s third-largest economy within the next five years. The vision of “Viksit Bharat@2047” requires a multi-faceted approach where veterinarians, through their expertise, not only improve animal welfare concern but also elevate India’s rural economy and ensure sustainable agricultural and livestock practices. Turning to the domestic scenario globally, 1 in 5 persons depend on livestock for income and livelihood, in India, 2/3rd of rural communities rely on livestock for their livelihood. This sector which employs approximately 18.8% of India’s population, more importantly, has high proportions of women in the workforce. It is animal husbandry department and its work force mainly veterinarians who can guide our livestock farmers to enhance their animal’s productivity thereby making the livestock enterprises more profitable. India’s livestock sector is one of the largest in the world. It has 56.7% of world’s buffaloes, 12.5% cattle, 20.4% small ruminants, 2.4% camel, 1.4% equine, 1.5% pigs and 3.1% poultry. In 2010- 11 livestock generated outputs worth Rs 2075 billion (at 2004-05 prices) which comprised 4% of the GDP and 26% of the agricultural GDP. Nonetheless, the share of livestock in the agricultural GDP improved consistently from 15% in 1981-82 to 26% in 2010-11. In India, the livestock sector has witnessed an extraordinary growth with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.99% annually between 2014-15 and 2022-23. In fact, the contribution of the livestock industry, a sub-sector of agriculture, has been the biggest contributor to the share of total agriculture Gross Value Added (GVA) has seen a significant increase from around 25% in the early 2000s to over 30.23% in recent years, reflecting a growth of nearly 23%. It is now unanimously accepted at all levels that the farmers’ income can be doubled only by integrating Animal Husbandry activities with Agricultural practices. Animal husbandry is an integral component of Indian agriculture supporting livelihood of more than two-thirds of the rural population. The veterinarian is committed professionally and morally with the rural community. Veterinarians intervene in different ways in getting their household improved through technology injection and innovation in their livestock rearing by providing them technical, financial and moral support. However, the Government of India has made an announcement about “Doubling Farmers” Income by 2022. Experts are judging the options and strategies for achieving this enviable target. One of the options is to evaluate the potential of age-old integrated farming system (IFS) in enhancing income of farm families within the reasonable time period. Livestock has been instrumental in providing livelihood security to the poor and in meeting India’s nutritional requirements. Driven by rising urban wealth, escalating demand for foods of animal origin, and rising prices, livestock and poultry production are global agriculture’s fastest growing industries. Livestock has helped India become the largest producer of milk in the world. India’s milk production has increased from 17 million tons in 1950- 51 to 210 million tons in 2020-21, with an annual growth rate of more than 6 per cent. While currently about 40% of the world’s protein consumption is from animal source, the demand for food, especially animal-based products like meat and milk will exponentially rise with the global population estimated to touch 9.1 billion by 2050. Meat production will need to increase by about 76%, and milk production by around 65% from current levels, an additional requirement of about 200 million tonnes of meat and 800 million tonnes of milk per year. According to projections by the NITI Aayog, by 2050, India’s demand for animal-sourced food is anticipated to rise significantly. Economic and demographic shifts, such as a 24% population increase, a 7.5-fold rise in income levels, and greater urbanisation with 55% of the population residing in urban areas, will drive this change in dietary patterns. This means that calorie intake from animal-sourced foods is expected to double, reaching 16%. Additionally, demand for meat, fish, and eggs is projected to surge by 205%, while demand for milk products is likely to grow 3.7 times faster than that for food grains.

With the world of veterinary sciences and animal husbandry constantly evolving, and new technological advancements, from telemedicine to genetic research, transforming the way we diagnose and treat animal diseases, the role of veterinarians has never been more crucial as we face global issues such as zoonotic diseases, climate change, and antimicrobial resistance. Veterinarians often also serve many important positions in animal experimental laboratories, pharmaceutical institutions, research and academic institutions, agricultural chemical industry, animal welfare bodies, aquatic animal science, microbial facilities, food companies, feed industries, wildlife bodies, NGO, livestock, and poultry industries. They are also involved in framing policies at local, state, and national levels in drafting and framing different policies towards animal welfare issues. They also work in agribusinesses marketing companies, food and feed industries, technical sales and services, regulatory affairs, and management companies. Beneficial interventions will require collaboration between medical, veterinary, agricultural, social, environmental, and wildlife scientists. Veterinary sciences intersect with all of these disciplines and for years has promoted the concept of One Health as a technique for promotion of collaboration. Veterinarians play a vital role in the welfare of livestock and the Veterinary Services sector in many ways, including:

Disease Prevention and Control:Veterinarians provide veterinary medical treatment and disease prevention in routine health checks. Regular veterinary visits allow for the early detection of diseases, reducing the risk of outbreaks that could wipe out large numbers of livestock. Preventative measures, such as vaccinations and deworming, are essential for maintaining herd health. Veterinarians monitor and track diseases within livestock populations, providing critical data that helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Livestock Mobile veterinary clinics can bring essential services directly to farmers in remote locations, reducing the barriers to access. These clinics can provide routine health checks, vaccinations, and emergency care, ensuring that livestock in all areas receive the attention they need. Telemedicine (can allow veterinarians to offer consultations and advice remotely, reducing the need for farmers to travel long distances for veterinary care) i.e. electronic transmission of pictures of skin lesions and skin parasites for the accurate diagnosis of skin infections and disorders. This has immediate significance as the Lumpy Skin Disease was widespread, causing a significant number of cattle deaths in the country. This surveillance is vital for managing diseases like Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), African Swine Fever (ASF), and Avian Influenza. Healthy animals are more productive, yielding higher milk production, better meat quality, and increased egg output. This directly translates to higher profits for farmers. With proper veterinary care, mortality rates among livestock can be significantly reduced, ensuring that farmers do not lose their investments due to preventable diseases.
Animal Health Management and industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Telemedicine Tools from Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can be utilized to address the problems with the imbalance between the supply and demand for livestock healthcare services. Veterinarians offer expert advice on proper nutrition and diet for different types of livestock. Ensuring animals receive balanced diets improves their growth rates, reproductive performance, and overall health. Veterinary services support breeding programs that enhance the genetic quality of livestock. By selecting for traits such as disease resistance, fertility, and productivity, farmers can improve the quality and profitability of their herds. As families tending towards nuclear family, adoption of pet for companion is increasing day-by-day. This has resulted in rapid growth of the pet industry estimated to be worth over Rs. 20,000 crores in India. Pet industry rise of about 15% per annum has resulting in increasing demand of veterinary services like routine care and also multi-speciality hospitals for treating the sick and injured pets.
Animal welfare: Ensuring animal welfare is an integral part of the veterinarian’s role, which involves housing conditions, and handling practices of the livestock. Modern veterinary professionals play a pivotal role in providing guidance on enhancing animal comfort, minimizing stress, and alleviating pain or suffering. Veterinarians assess the welfare of animals in their environment and make recommendations to improve it. They promote humane practices, such as proper nutrition, shelter, and handling. They also educate the public and animal owners on best practices for animal welfare. Partnerships between government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector companies can help expand the reach and impact of veterinary services. These collaborations can fund training programs, provide equipment, and support disease surveillance efforts.
Facilitating Rural Development Programs:Veterinarians often collaborate with different government agencies and non-governmental organizations like NGOs, self-help groups (SHGs), farmer producer organisations (FPOs) etc. for implementing many rural development programs and ensure the sustainable growth of livestock sector. These initiatives may include skill development programs for livestock management, the establishment of veterinary clinics, and the distribution of essential veterinary medicines. By actively participating in such programs, veterinarians contribute to building resilient rural communities and fostering sustainable agricultural practices.
Ensuring Food Safety and Public Health: Veterinarians are involved in food safety interventions and play a critical role in public health.Veterinary services help ensure safe animal products like meat, milk, and eggs are safe for human consumption by preventing and controlling zoonotic diseases, those that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Veterinarians play a crucial role in promoting the responsible use of antibiotics in livestock farming, reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance, which poses a significant threat to global health. The veterinarian’s job extends to advisory and hands-on tasks throughout the value chain such as, for instance, in ante- and post-mortem inspections and further food safety interventions to ensure a safe and wholesome food supply to consumers. Also, veterinarians make sure that healthy animals are exported, imported, and distributed, thus preventing the risk of introducing detrimental, high-impact diseases into distant regions or neighbouring countries. Other contributions to food security can be shown through the multidimensional benefits of eradicating Rinderpest from the face of the earth: an achievement of international organizations and partners under the Global Rinderpest Eradication Programme celebrated on 28 June 2011. Rinderpest eradication in Africa represents over USD1 billion in savings to local economies invested in livestock. Also, rural veterinarians play preponderant roles in the fight against H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza since it surfaced in Southeast Asia in late 2003, affecting millions of people’s health, livelihoods, and nutrition.
Research: Veterinarians play a key role in biomedical research, including the development of medicines, feed additives, and vaccines. Veterinary research includes studies on prevention, control, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and on the basic biology and welfare of animals. It transcends species boundaries to include the study of spontaneous and experimental models of both human and animal disease and research at important human-animal interfaces, such as food safety, wildlife and ecosystem health, zoonotic diseases, and public policy. Veterinarians working in pharmaceutical and biomedical research firms develop, test, and supervise the production of drugs, chemicals, and biological products, such as antibiotics and vaccines for human and animal use. Veterinarians are often involved in conservation research, studying diseases, reproductive biology, and the impacts of environmental changes on health. This research is vital for developing effective conservation strategies and policies.
Environmental protection: Veterinarians are involved in environmental protection and biodiversity protection. Environmental education is an important pillar for responding and adapting to climate change. The common agricultural policy (CAP) policies oriented towards optimizing natural resource use, residue management, antimicrobial use reduction, the decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and animal welfare, need educational programs linked to the environmental problems. In this context, veterinarians are experts in animal production, welfare, food safety, and its technology and in public health under the One Health concept.
Wildlife conservation: Veterinarians are involved in wildlife conservationat the frontline of animal health and welfare. One of the primary roles of veterinarians in wildlife conservation is conducting health assessments and managing diseases within wildlife populations. Injured, sick, or orphaned wildlife, often victims of urbanisation, vehicle collisions, or natural disasters, are cared for and rehabilitated by veterinarians with a special interest in wildlife. Veterinarians often work in collaboration with conservation organisations, government agencies, and wildlife parks, providing expert advice and support for conservation projects.
Role in Climate Smart Agriculture/Animal Husbandry: The Food and Agriculture Organization has defined climate-smart agriculture is one that ‘sustainably increases productivity, enhances resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes greenhouse gases (mitigation) and enhances achievement of national food security and development goals. It is an approach to help the people who manage agricultural systems respond effectively to climate change. As climate change is affecting both livestock production and health in a major way, veterinarians are working to develop strategies to help animals adapt to the changing climate. Indian livestock sector is regarded as one of the major source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) contributing to global warming. This raises the issue of sustainability of livestock value chain in spite of high demand of meat and milk. In this context the innovative technologies to mitigate the GHG emissions would pave way for sustainability.
Role in homeland security: Veterinarians provide homeland security through the Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC),the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Border Security Force (BSF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) where the veterinary services wing manages dog and equine breeding centres and provide animal health cover and surveillance. RVC is responsible for breeding, rearing and training of equines for the Army. It provides animals (generally mules) to the Animal Transport (AT) Units and horses to the President Body Guard as well as other Cavalry Units and sniffer dogs to the police and army for detecting terrorists, spies, bombs and drugs etc.
Disasterand Emergency response: Veterinarians respond to disaster, emergencies and humanitarian crises. Veterinarians can assist in mitigation planning for a natural or human-caused emergency or disaster that could impact the animal shelter. In addition, the shelter mission or mandate may require planning to assist the community or surrounding communities. The veterinarians educate the livestock keepers through awareness programs, regular field visit, on-site consultations, training programs, animal health camps, fertility camps, demonstrations, and workshops on local need-based topics. The updating of knowledge and skill helps in ensuring optimal health, production and productivity of the animals thereby increasing their farm income. It is found that there exists still a high gap in knowledge base among the livestock keepers. There is urgent need to bridge the gap to get a sustainable economic benefit and achieve the target for Viksit Bharat@2047.
Role in Biosecurity: Veterinarians also share responsibilities for biosecurity to make sure that healthy animals are exported, imported, and distributed, thus preventing the risk of introducing detrimental, high-impact diseases into distant regions or neighboring countries. This is a joint effort that must be shared by all who have obligations for animals and/or animal products, both farm and companion animals. In this view, the veterinarian is a sentinel for the early detection of, and early response to, accidental or deliberate introduction of exotic diseases. The veterinarian is, in fact, a key line of defence that society counts on against agro-terrorism and bioterrorism.In sum, veterinarians are key players on biodefense, and thus for national security, food chain safety, and animal and human welfare.

References:

FAO (2013), ‘Module 8: Climate-smart livestock’ in Climate-Smart Agriculture Sourcebook, FAO, Rome, Italy.
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations Website. [11 Dec. 2011]. http://www.oie.int/about-us/our-missions.
https://www.niti.gov.in/verticals/agriculture
Leonard, D.K. (1987). The Supply of Veterinary Services: Kenyan Lessons. Agr Admin Ext. 26(4):219–236.
Livestock in the Balance. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations Website. 2009. [Dec. 11, 2011]. http://www.fao.org/publications/sofa-2009/en.

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