India Showcases Livestock Sector Transformation at FAO Global Conference in Rome

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, addressed the 2nd Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, highlighting India’s farmer-centric policies, innovations, and inclusive growth strategies that are driving remarkable progress in the livestock and dairy sector.

India’s Commitment to Sustainable Livestock Development

At the High-level Ministerial Session, Shri Singh conveyed India’s deep appreciation to FAO and its Director-General Dr. QU Dongyu for inviting India to share its experiences. He proudly noted that India currently serves as the First Vice Chair of the FAO Sub-Committee on Livestock, a role that underscores the country’s growing global leadership in the sector.

Emphasizing India’s vision under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Minister said:

“India has undertaken a series of transformative and inclusive initiatives to ensure food security, improve nutritional outcomes, strengthen livelihoods, and eradicate poverty.”

He drew attention to the 2025 World Bank Report, which noted that since COVID-19, India’s welfare programmes have lifted 269 million people out of extreme poverty, reducing poverty levels from 27.1% to 5.3%. He underlined the central role of livestock in this achievement, with the sector providing sustainable livelihoods to nearly two-thirds of rural households, particularly small and marginal farmers, many of them women.

A Sector of National and Global Importance

Shri Singh highlighted the sector’s remarkable growth:

• A CAGR of 12.77% in recent years.

• Contribution of 31% to agricultural Gross Value Added (GVA) and 5.5% to national GDP.

• India as the world’s largest producer of milk, accounting for 25% of global output with 239 million tonnes annually.

• The second-largest producer of eggs and a leading exporter of buffalo meat.

He credited this progress to people-centric policies, cooperative models, and resilience of smallholder farmers, reaffirming India’s 80-year partnership with FAO and its commitment to share scalable innovations with the Global South.

Call for Inclusive Global Framework

Shri Singh underscored that the Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Livestock Transformation must serve as a guiding framework, not a rigid prescription. He stressed the need to respect national priorities, capacities, and local contexts, especially in developing countries. He urged for finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building to support a phased and equitable transition.

India’s Key Livestock Initiatives Showcased at FAO

The Minister presented a series of flagship initiatives that reflect India’s comprehensive approach to livestock development:

• Rashtriya Gokul Mission: Conserving indigenous cattle breeds and enhancing genetic diversity, benefiting 92 million animals and 56 million farmers.

• World’s Largest Vaccination Programme: Over 1.2 billion doses administered annually, with India emerging as a global hub for vaccine production and export.

• National Digital Livestock Mission – Bharat Pashudhan: A digital ID system covering 353 million animals and 94 million livestock owners, enabling traceability and disease detection.

• Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (USD 3.5 billion): Supporting investments in dairy, breeding, feed plants, and meat processing.

• Grassroots Empowerment:

  • MAITRIs Programme – training local resource persons to deliver breeding services in remote areas.

  • A-HELP initiative – empowering rural women in animal health delivery, reinforcing women’s central role in livestock development.

• One Health Approach: Recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. India has called for stable, predictable funding for transboundary animal disease programmes.

• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR): Implementation of a National Action Plan aligned with the Global Action Plan, with India co-sponsoring resolutions to strengthen global response.

• Pandemic Preparedness: Secured a USD 25 million G20 Pandemic Fund grant to boost animal health security, supported by FAO, ADB, and World Bank.

• Women-led Development: Over 70% of India’s dairy workforce are women, making the White Revolution a testament to their leadership in rural transformation.

• International Day of Milk: India and Ireland jointly co-sponsored the resolution, endorsed at the 44th FAO Conference, and awaiting UNGA consideration.

Reaffirming India’s Global Role

Shri Singh reaffirmed India’s commitment to making the livestock sector more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient, while continuing to contribute to global food security. He stressed India’s readiness to share its innovations, digital tools, and cooperative models with other developing nations to accelerate progress worldwide.

The Minister concluded with a vision of livestock development not only as an economic driver but also as a pathway to gender empowerment, poverty eradication, and global cooperation, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).