Northeast States Review Dairy Development, Livestock Schemes in New Delhi Meeting
The Secretary of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Smt. Alka Upadhyaya, chaired a pivotal Regional Review Meeting at Pusa, New Delhi, focusing on the progress and implementation of key programs and schemes across the Northeast states. The meeting was attended by high-level officials, including Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, Directors, and scheme officers from the Animal Husbandry and Dairying Departments of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura.
The discussions centered on evaluating the physical and financial progress of significant initiatives such as the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, which aims to improve indigenous bovine breeds, the National Livestock Mission (NLM) focused on entrepreneurship development, the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) targeting major livestock diseases, and the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD).
Smt. Upadhyaya emphasized the need for tailored strategies to enhance the number of productive bovines in the Northeast, a region characterized by its unique geographical challenges. She urged state officials to address fodder constraints and ensure the effective utilization of infrastructure developed under the NPDD scheme, which covers milk collection, chilling, processing, and testing. The Secretary highlighted the importance of expanding the organized dairy sector, promoting indigenous milk products, and implementing robust marketing plans to strengthen the dairy industry in the region.
The meeting also acknowledged the states’ achievements in establishing farms under the NLM’s Entrepreneurship Development programs. Smt. Upadhyaya encouraged states to capitalize on the available opportunities and financial assistance to boost local entrepreneurship within the livestock sector. Additionally, she stressed the importance of promoting the Realigned Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund scheme among potential beneficiaries to maximize its impact.
As the session concluded, Ms. Upadhyaya underlined the collective responsibility of all stakeholders in ensuring the success of the upcoming 21st Livestock Census. She noted that this census would be crucial in shaping future policies and programs for the Animal Husbandry sector. The Secretary called for the adoption of the latest technologies to ensure accurate data collection and analysis, which would guide the sector’s development.
The review meeting also covered the progress of the Government of India’s flagship NADCP scheme, with particular focus on the vaccination campaigns against Foot-and-Mouth Disease and Brucellosis. Discussions included the status of six-monthly vaccinations for cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats, as well as the implementation of initiatives like the Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases, the operationalization of Mobile Veterinary Units, and the formation of “Pashukalyan Samities” to oversee animal welfare.
Prominent attendees included Ms. Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary, Dr. Abhijit Mitra, Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Ms. Suparna Pachouri, Joint Secretary, Shri Jagat Hazarika, Advisor (Statistics), and other senior officials from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India.
This meeting marks a significant step towards enhancing the dairy and livestock sectors in the Northeast, ensuring sustainable development through focused interventions and collective efforts.
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