Gandhinagar, Sep 22 (IANS) Gujarat’s Animal Husbandry Minister Raghavji Patel represented the state in a high-level virtual consultation meeting of livestock ministers, chaired by Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh and attended by Minister of State S.P. Singh Baghel.

The meeting, which brought together ministers from across the country, focused on legal, policy, institutional and procedural reforms needed to strengthen India’s livestock and dairy sector as part of the national goal of becoming a developed country by 2047.

Minister Patel, joined by department secretary Sandip Kumar and director Dr. Falguni Thakkar, highlighted that Gujarat has already drawn up a road map and a “Vision Document 2047” aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision. It prioritises boosting milk production, enhancing per-animal yield, and expanding exports of dairy products.

Patel said the proposed reforms discussed at the consultation would provide a strong foundation for Gujarat to achieve these goals. He underlined the importance of conserving indigenous cattle breeds, addressing antimicrobial resistance, and establishing the Indian Council of Veterinary Research (ICVR) to advance a “One Health” approach that balances human, animal, and environmental health.

Patel urged the Centre to introduce a Central Livestock Feed Act to harmonise standards nationwide, which he said would lower farmers’ costs, improve product quality, and boost international exports. He also recommended including commercial poultry varieties under the National Livestock Mission and providing schemes to promote technologies such as sexed semen and IVF to improve breeding.

Calling for livestock to be given parity with agriculture in areas like income tax benefits, electricity tariffs, and access to institutional credit, Patel said such recognition would be “a revolutionary step” towards strengthening the rural economy.

“The joint efforts of the Centre and states will usher in a new era for the livestock sector, ensuring higher farmer incomes and transforming animal husbandry into a growth-driving industry for rural India,” he added.

–IANS

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