Indian poultry sector is growing at 8–10 per cent per annum and the country stands 5th in egg production and 18th in broiler production globally, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today.
India's Position in Animal Agriculture
India is the largest producer of milk in the world with 13.1 per cent of the total milk produced in the world. Per capita milk availability is 252 gram per day — lower than world average of 265 gram — Singh said while speaking at the First Convocation of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Hisar, Haryana.
"India stands 5th in egg production, 18th in broiler. The growth rate for poultry sector is 8–10 per cent annum."
— Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister of Agriculture
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh at LUVAS, Hisar
Demand Projections to 2020-21
The Minister added that the demand for milk and milk products is projected to rise to:
…consumption of eggs is expected to increase to more than 81 billion, 10.9 million tonnes of meat and 11 million tonnes of fish by 2020-21.
Challenges in Livestock
The minister added the livestock sector faces challenges like low productivity, inadequate feed and fodder availability, prevalence of animal diseases and inadequate infrastructure for marketing and processing of value added products among others.
National Livestock Policy
"In order to address these major challenges, the Central government has framed National Livestock Policy in the year 2013. The primary focus of the policy is to increase livestock productivity and production in a sustainable manner."
— Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister of Agriculture
The national livestock policy would facilitate better inter-state coordination in control of animal diseases — many of which are zoonotic — regulating export and import of livestock and livestock products.