In the livestock sector, major constraints experienced
by farmers relate to breed, feed and fodder, health care and remunerative
prices for that produce. The new National Policy for Farmers, 2007 envisages
addressing these issues through an appropriate strategy.
The Department proposes to implement 28 schemes during
2008-09, which also include the Special Package for 31 suicide-prone districts
in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala. Of these 28 schemes,
16 relate to animal husbandry, 4 to Dairy Development, 6 to Fisheries
sector and 1 to the Secretariat & Economic Services. The Department
formulated the Annual Plan proposals 2008-09 to the tune of Rs. 1891.25
crore. These include Rs. 40 crore for the External Aid component on 'Prevention,
Control and Containment of Avian Influenza'. Against the proposal of Rs. 1891.25
crore, the Planning Commission has allocated a BE of Rs. 1000.00 crore
for 2008-09.
Eleventh Plan Proposals
The Planning Commission has indicated an outlay of Rs 8174.00
crore for this Department for the Eleventh Plan. This includes an amount
of Rs 4243.00 crore for Animal Husbandry, Rs 780.00 crore for Dairy Development,
Rs 2776.00 crore for Fisheries, Rs 35.00 crore for Secretariat & Economic
Services and Rs 340.00 crore for the Special Package for Livestock &
Fisheries in 31 suicide-prone districts in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Maharashtra & Kerala.
The approach identified for the livestock sector in the
11th Plan is to achieve an overall growth between 6 to 7 percent per annum
for the sector as a whole, with milk group achieving a growth of 5% per
annum and meat and poultry achieving a growth of 10% per annum. The benefit
of higher growth should be equitable, benefiting mainly the small and
marginal farmers and landless labourers who maintain bulk of the livestock
in the country. It should also benefit poorly endowed areas like drought
prone, arid and semi-arid areas. The sector should also provide additional
employment opportunities to people in rural areas especially women who
manage the livestock in the household, thereby, empowering women. The
strategy for the 11 th marine fisheries resources and inland water Plan
is based on the following considerations:
- There is a need for institutional restructuring of the
existing development machinery, both at the national and state level.
- A sustainable and financially viable livestock farming,
which will generate wealth and self-employment through entrepreneurship,
is the need of the day.
- The successful examples of public- private partnership
initiative should be replicated and expanded during the 11th Five Year
Plan.
- Initiatives on the pattern of producers' organizations
like 'Anand' need to be taken up in other livestock products, especially,
meat and poultry.
- There is a need to provide efficient and effective decentralized
services at doorstep of livestock farmers.
- A mechanism for transfer of technological development
to the producers' should be instituted.
- There is a need to build a line of credit to suicide-prone
districts in Andhra Pradesh, meet the requirement of livestock sector.
