STRENGTHENING QUALITY
PRODUCTION
The animal husbandry
and fisheries sectors have a vital role in the national economy.
The country’s socio-economic development cannot be possible without
these. The fisheries sector is not only an important source of
employment but also largely contributes to the country’s foreign
exchange earnings. The export of fish and fish products was to
the tune of Rs. 5815 crore in 2001-02. The total export earnings
from the livestock , poultry and related products was Rs. 3,841
crore in 2001-02. About 6 million people are employed in the fisheries
sector. The estimated employment in the livestock sector was approximately
8.5 million in 1999-2000.
India ranks first
in milk production and fifth in egg production in the world. India
is now the fourth largest producer of fish and second largest
producer of fresh water fish in the world. Hence a separate policy
is to be formulated for these sub-sectors of agriculture in the
near future.
Dairy Development
The Indian dairy
industry registered a substantial growth from the 8th Plan onwards,
achieving an annual output of over 69 million tonnes of milk.
India’s milk output during 2001-02 was estimated to be 84.6 million
tonnes and is expected to reach the level of 88 million tonnes
during 2002-03.
The National Dairy
Development Board (NDDB) has drawn up a perspective plan 2010
to strengthen the country’s cooperative dairy sector. NDDB has
already released Rs. 760 million to district milk unions for activities
such as productivity enhancement, quality assurance, cooperative
business including milk marketing and building a national information
network. It has implemented the Women Dairy Cooperative Leadership
Programme in 50 districts across the country, increasing women
dairy farmers’ participation in dairy cooperatives.
Poultry
India is on
the world map as one of the leading egg producing countries. About
34 billion eggs are produced per annum. The broiler production
has also gone up with an annual growth rate of about 15 per cent
and stands to about 450 million broiler at present.A new scheme
was launched during 1999-2000 by the Department of Animal Husbandry
and Dairying to encourage backyard poultry for small farmers.
The Department will shift its operations gradually from breeding
and maintenance of industrial type of birds to the low input birds
which can thrive well under rural conditions at the farmer’s door.
Fishery
As a result of
concerted efforts of the Central and State Governments, fish production
has continuously been increasing in the country and is expected
to have reached a record level of 6.95 million tonnes during 2002-03.
The Government
is providing a package of technical, financial and extension support
to Fish Farmers’ Development Agencies (FFDA) in the inland fisheries
sector. Now a network of 429 FFDAs covers all districts in the
country.
Under the scheme
of welfare programme for fishermen, in 2002-03, 7148 houses had
been sanctioned to the fishermen The insurance cover was extended
to 10.5 fishers in 2002-03. During 2002-03, Central assistance
of Rs. 16.96 crore was released to various States/UTs/organisations
under the welfare scheme.
New Initiatives
The Government has
started a new scheme called Livestock Health and Disease Control
during the 10th Plan period. An intensive foot and mouth disease
control programme with 100 per cent central assistance would be
taken up in 54 selected districts in the States/ UTs. They include
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep,
Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi,
Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
The Department has
set up a cell to coordinate with the State Departments of Animal
Husbandry on supplying of fodder and fodder seeds as also to take
up drought-proofing measures.
An ad-hoc assistance
of Rs. 11.66 crore was released to cattle camps in Rajasthan during
2002. The Department has monitored the availability and prices
of feed, fodder and mineral mixture in the nine States facing
a severe drought and provided them the requisite assistance. The
Department alloted 4 lakh fodder minikits to the States during
2002-03 and released Rs. 3.42 crore to them for their fodder development
programme.
A new scheme to
raise feed and fodder production including improvement of common
property resources has been proposed during the 10th Plan for
putting a sound mechanism in place to produce, certify and multiply
the fodder seeds and enrichment of straws and stovers.
Livestock Census
The 17th livestock
census will soon be conducted under the Department’s guidance.
The preparatory work for the census has already begun and all
the States/UTs have been called upon to conduct the census by
October 15 , 2003.
A new scheme has
also been taken up to conserve the threatened breeds of small
ruminants, pigs, pack animals and equines with a cent per cent
Central assistance during the 10th Plan. (PIBFeatures)
