Role of Veterinarians & Livestock Sector for “Viksit Bharat@2047”
Vikram Chandu V*
*Undergraduate student, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education & Research. Pondicherry University, U.T of Pondicherry, India.
Abstract – Viksit Bharat is the vision of making India a developed country. A Nation should have some characteristics to be recognised as a devolved country like food security, good standard of living and high per capita income, high GDP & GNP, modernized infrastructure, better use of labour force, high education etc. India currently is lagging behind in some of the topics above mentioned. Livestock sector aids in generating income & employment, rural development, providing quality nutrition, financial security, sustainable development etc. (few key aspects where current attention is necessary). It also helps in uprising the quality of life especially for poor and marginal farmers. Livestock sector is serving a great part in development of nation in current days and the role more crucial in upcoming years.
What is Viksit Bharat @ 2047.?
Currently India is holding the global status as a developing nation. In 2023 our current Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid an arduous path ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047: Voice of Youth’ towards making India, the developed nation by 2047 (Centenary of Independence). The Ambition of becoming developed nation is huge and it has complexities from ground level like lack of infrastructure, unemployment, rigidity in current policies, lack of health care, incompetence, lack of funding, flaws in current education system etc. (these are only few), each sector has its own hurdles to work upon.
At present there is a great variation (regarding development), we have metropolitan cities with utmost facilities and we also have remote areas without even proper transport. In order to fulfil this vision of becoming developed nation every sector should undergo S.W.O.T analysis to reveal where we are currently lacking and why; then goals, frameworks and policies should be laid down. Innovation, Involvement of youth and multi-sector approach are the key for sustainable development & for global progress.
Key words: Famers, Rural development, GDP, Poverty alleviation, Sustainability, Economy.
Livestock sector in Indian GDP & Current challenges
Livestock is supporting the livelihood of almost 2/3rd of Indian rural population. About 20.5 million people depend upon livestock for their livelihood. Livestock contributed 16% to the income of small farm households as against an average of 14% for all rural households. Livestock provides livelihood to two-third of rural community. It also provides employment to about 8.8 % of the population in India. India has vast livestock resources. Livestock sector contributes 4.11% GDP and 25.6% of total Agriculture GDP (Soumyakant Dash, 2017).
India holds superiority (almost) in quantity of livestock but the quality and quantity of production from individual animal is quite low (depends on multiple factors).
Current Challenges
- Lack of infrastructure and health care facilities (for both livestock & farmers).
- Increased disease outbreaks, vector population, antimicrobial resistance.
- Global warming, greenhouse gases and methane emission.
- Feed and Fodder shortage (in regards of quality and quantity).
- Lack of enthusiasm in youth to start agro and livestock business.
- Poor extension activities.
- Low production quality and minimal prices for livestock products.
- Unorganised market & improper marketing.
- Lack of potable water & pollution.
- Improper funding and policies for low and marginal farmers etc.
These are only few that are currently livestock sector is facing on almost daily basis, there are many more to be resolved. The key in development of this sector lies in solving the problem – why the production is low?
Why livestock sector role is crucial in development?
India’s vast majority of population resides in semi-urban and rural areas, key for their livelihood is agriculture and livestock. Pollution, decreased soil fertility, overpriced seeds and chemicals, industrial exploitation made people to lose their land, profits from agriculture and livelihood. For them livestock production is showing a great path by having continuous returns with minimum input. It is also becoming a livelihood option for poor and marginal farmers, rural women and unemployed youth.
Veterinarians role is not only limited in treating animals but also they act as a bridge between quality production and healthy business.
Livestock sector’s future role in
- Providing food security,
- Nation’s GDP,
- Global marketing and business,
- Increasing employment of women, youth,
- Alleviating poverty,
- Rural development,
- Famer capacity building,
- Disease and antimicrobial resistance control,
- Health security, One health promotion,
- Skill development and promoting entrepreneurship projects (brand building and start-ups)
- Sustainable development,
- Resource management and renewable energy,
- Promoting research,
- Next Generation reforms,
- Multi-sector collaboration and promoting mutualism,
- Connecting science and culture,
- Global promotion and recognition of Indian culture.
Description (Why & How ??); few places where livestock sector and veterinarians plays a key role in development of nation,
In Providing Food security: Food security is key for healthy & productive society. People having a good and balanced nutrition will be healthy and will work better, which directly reflects on nation’s productivity, economy and growth. Currently due to climate change and global warming there is severe decrease in the crop production and increased competition for food (mainly protein). In this situation livestock sector is serving as one of the best alternative for meeting the requirements.
Dissemination of knowledge regarding proper utilisation of animals and animal products is required. Rearing livestock will provide food security not only for home but also for their society, it also generates a secure and continuous revenue for the people especially in rural communities. Unfortunately, there is still a huge gap to be filled between the current requirement and availability. There is a lot of scope for livestock sector to grow. Research and development of new scientific techniques and climate resilient animal breeds are required to increase the productivity and yield.
Nation’s GDP: Gross domestic product value reflects economy growth and performance of the country. Currently we stand currently in top 5 largest economies of world. Livestock plays a pivotal role in country’s GDP (almost 5.7), it will further rise in upcoming years. With the increase in population, cost of living and necessities of the world, livestock products business & trading has great scope in future. Involvement of Private institutions in to the sector in recent years and global expansion will help in further boosting of country’s GDP.
Global Marketing and business: Indian livestock products have global demand especially for Milk, Buffalo Meat, natural fabrics like pashmina etc., current trend for organic production, traditional method of production is providing added value. The good business performance will in turn helps to generate revenue for the development. India has advantage livestock in number and quantity of production currently, in future by increasing the quality by boosting the production system and marketing as a brand will increase the global value and returns further in future.
Employment of Women & Youth: due to infrastructure and capital constraints providing more formal jobs is getting hard and unemployment rate in increasing. Many household women want to do some work in their free time besides taking care of home. Livestock sector and entrepreneurship projects were great opportunities for them to make more money and to become independent.
Livestock sector supports gender equality and women empowerment especially in rural areas. Self-employment will give place for more creativity and innovation, flexibility in work. Livestock sector provides employment in various categories from rearing to marketing, transport to feed production etc. Many people want to achieve something in their life and bring a change in society for them livestock production is providing great opportunities to grow. In future having new policies to encourage youth and women to come to animal rearing can generate more employment and economy.
Poverty alleviation and Rural development: still in many parts of India, people are living below the poverty line mainly due to lack of jobs or under-paid labour work (mainly in rural areas). Many of them are quitting agriculture due to lack of fertile land, decreased farming practices etc. they have space to grow financially in their life with proper support and education. Livestock rearing will increase the revenue generation, showing promising results in time and provides financial security for them. Once people start noticing the change in life due to livestock production, many others will start involving and come in to production business. Thus in future it helps in both poverty alleviation and rural development.
Diseases and Health: For the quality productive society, health security is crucial. Healthy people, healthy animals and healthy lifestyle is required for to make the nation healthy. Current increase in zoonotic infections, vector population and antimicrobial resistance problem making the society sick. The key people in fighting these are veterinarians, they help in keeping society healthy by aiding in production of healthy livestock products (Milk, Meat etc.). Vets have greater role in screening, controlling zoonotic outbreaks & occupation based zoonosis, in preventing the diseases, providing proper health care to livestock and in educating farmers. They are crucial in breaking the transmission cycle, controlling the disease, promoting one health and countering Antimicrobial resistance (from animal sector).
Farmer capacity building and skill development: Skills are necessary for long term run in any business. People with skills can work and earn anywhere and at anyplace. Skill development will provide more opportunities and it become a base for the innovations. Capacity building and skill development will provide more economic stability, stimulate growth and productivity, helps in rural development. Extension activities and veterinarians involving to educate people especially women and unemployed people to update their knowledge and skills is required.
Sustainability and resources management: Sustainability is the key for quality future. Harmony with environment by promoting its health is very necessary. Livestock sector and its traditional practices promotes sustainability and also helps in deeper understanding about how well we can use our ancestor’s knowledge and the draft power. Draft power helps in increasing carbon sequestration in soils. Integrated farming, Gobar gas, Bio-manure etc. are the key concepts in resource management and as a renewable energy management practices.
Livestock production contributes to sustainability through use of uncultivable land for food production, conversion of energy and protein sources that cannot be used by humans into highly nutritious animal-sourced food and reduction of environmental pollution with agroindustrial by-products, while generating income and supporting livelihoods of millions of people all over the world (Padmakumar Varijakshapanicker et al., 2019).
Research: There is scope for further research in livestock sector in many topics like disease control, vector control, development of climate resilient breeds, use of disease resistance genes, genetic studies, mechanisation of production, controlling methane emissions from ruminants etc. Multi-sector collaboration is required for better results and for sustainability in future.
Conclusion: India, the developed country; this goal will become true in upcoming years. For this all the country’s citizens need to join there hands and work collectively. Constraints in different planes and levels needed to be addressed and healthy revenue generation is required for boosting the economy.
References
- Padmakumar Varijakshapanicker, Sarah Mckune, Laurie Miller, Saskia Hendrickx, Mulubrhan Balehegn, Geoffrey E Dahl, Adegbola T Adesogan, Sustainable livestock systems to improve human health, nutrition, and economic status, Animal Frontiers, Volume 9, Issue 4, October 2019, Pages 39–50, https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfz041
- Soumyakant Dash. Contribution of Livestock Sector to Indian Economy. Paripex – Indian Journal Of Research, Volume: 6, Issue : 1, 2017. Pp. 890-891
