2. • Animal food industries are of crucial importance to
India.
• Dairy industry is very well developed in India.
• The country is the largest milk producer in the world.
• Though India ranks top in animal and cattle population,
the meat and meat processing industry is still to
develop to the required potential to meet the demands
of the millions of population.
• Dairy products are a major source of cheap and
nutritious food to millions of people in India and the
only acceptable source of animal protein for large
vegetarian segment of Indian population.
3. • Livestock are exclusively maintained on
grazing.
• In these harsh climates with minimal rainfall,
sustained agriculture throughout the year is
extremely difficult and it is livestock, which
has an important role in people’s livelihoods.
4. The basic problems of livestock
farmers
• Access to modern livestock services- especially
veterinary services are poor.
• Access to the marketing support is also poor.
• Prices received by them for products are low.
• Credit support for purchase of animals and its
maintenance is not easily available to the
small holders.
5. • Goat, pigs and backyard poultry are most
commonly kept by the underprivileged and
these get very little development/research
support.
• Improved animals are not available.
• Feed, fodder availability is a major constraint.
• The peri-urban dairy farmers rely mainly on
purchased feed.
6. • Presently, only a very small fraction of the
livestock sector exists as industrialized system.
• Industrial systems require conversion of good
agricultural land that can feed humans to
fodder plots to feed animals.
• Sustained rise in per capita income and
urbanization are fuelling rapid growth in
demand for animal food products.
7. • Demand for animal food products is income
dependent. Besides, the world trade in livestock
products has also been increasing fast, implying
opportunities for increasing exports.
• Expanding demand creates an immense scope for
fostering rapid growth in livestock sector.
• Livestock production has been growing faster
than crop production. A growing livestock sector
will also contribute towards women
empowerment.
8. The problems in livestock maintenance
will be overcome by
• Reducing the feed and fodder scarcity.
• Improvements in Veterinary services that include animal
health and breeding services.
• Creation of improved technologies.
• By giving remunerative prices basing on the cost of
production
• Institutional support in terms of credit and insurance needs
to be strengthened.
• Creation of quality consciousness among the producers.
• Creating awareness about the rules and regulations of
foreign trade.
9. Key Areas of Concern in the Dairy
Industry
• Competitiveness, cost of production,
productivity of animals etc.
• Production, processing and marketing
infrastructure
• Focus on buffalo milk based speciality
• Import of value-added products and export of
lower value products
10. Meat Sector
• India is bestowed with large number of ruminant
population.
• In spite of the numbers, the meat sector still is to come
up. There is a huge scope for expanding exports,
especially in buffalo and poultry meat, eggs and dairy
products.
• India ranks first in world buffalo population, with 56.5%
and one-sixth of goat population in the world.
• India also ranks first in milk production.
• The country is also fifth in egg production.
• Though, India tops in meat, milk and eggs production,
exports are very low because of quality considerations.
11. • The export of sheep and goat meat in terms of
quantity is very small.
• Buffalo meat export is also not much
appreciable due to lack of competitive
advantage.
• Export is restricted to countries primarily in
the Middle East, with large ethnic Indian
population who prefer it.
• Poultry products export is also not quite good.
12. • The buffalo meat export industry has grown well.
• The potential for rapid growth is high, particularly
if a specific time bound plan of action between
the various wings of the government and the
meat export industry is drawn up.
• Since the growth of buffalo meat for domestic
consumption is low (less than 2%), the potential
for export increases substantially.
13. • Since 1995, production of meat & meat products has
been steadily growing at a rate of 4% per year.
• Currently, the processing level of buffalo meat is
estimated at 21%, poultry 6% and marine products 8%.
• Only about 1% of the total meat is converted into value
added products like sausages, ham, bacon, kababs,
meat balls, etc. Production of meat is governed under
local by-laws as slaughtering is a state subject.
• Processing of meat is licensed under the Meat Food
Products Order, 1973
14. Problems
• Lack of quality
• Lack of organized marketing
• Lack of superior animals
• Lack of knowledge about improved
management
15. Wool Sector
• The woollen industry in the country is small in
size and widely scattered.
• It is basically located in the States of Punjab,
Haryana, Rajasthan, U.P., Maharashtra and
Gujarat.
• 40%, of the woollen units are located in
Punjab, 27% in Haryana, 10% in Rajasthan,
while the rest of the States account for the
remaining 23 % of the units.
16. • The total wool production in India is not enough to meet
the total requirement of raw wool for woollen industry.
• The bulk of Indian wool is of coarse quality and is used
mostly in the hand-made carpet industry.
• Since indigenous production of fine quality wool is required
by the organized mills and decentralized hosiery sector is
very limited, India depends almost exclusively on import.
• The Central Wool Development Board, Jodhpur was
constituted by the Government of India, Ministry of Textiles
in 1987 with the primary objective of development of wool
and woollen textiles in the country by undertaking
programmes to support various wool development
activities.
