December 26, 2017

CLFMA: Redefining India's livestock sector by focusing on farmer welfare

India's Farmers Day or Kisan Diwas is observed every year on December 23 in memory of the country's fifth prime minister and respected leader, the late Shri. Chaudhary Charan Singh.

"He was a great leader who envisioned brighter future for India's farming sector even during the darkest times. And now we are carrying his legacy to make Indian agriculture industry prominent in the global arena," said B. Soundararajan, chairman of CLFMA of India.

"If we are to improve livelihoods of the farmers and rural Indians, livestock sector is one of the easiest yet most impactful sectors to focus through which the twin objectives of ensuring food and nutrition security as well as ensuring prosperity in rural India can be achieved." he remarked.

The Indian livestock sector provides employment to over 16 million and is playing a vital role in their livelihoods, according to CLFMA. India ranks first in milk production that just crossed 163 million tonnes in 2016-17.

In poultry meat, the country is one of the most efficient producers and ranks fifth globally. It also produces more than 63 billion eggs annually and is one of the most reliable exporters of quality eggs globally.

India is emerging as one of the most prominent exporters of shrimp ahead of Southeast Asian nations. "In general, protein consumption is going up in tandem with our economic growth for example, India's poultry meat consumption will nearly double to touch 6kg per person by 2025. This cannot happen without keeping farmers' welfare at the forefront. The industry, government and civil societies must act together," Soundararajan added.

"CLFMA represents the entire animal protein value chain and our members are involved in diverse sub-sectors such as feed production, processing of agro-commodities, veterinary services, animal nutrition and health and so on. Farmers are our primary focus and we touch the lives of millions of farmers directly and indirectly. This day reminds us to bring to the fore the need to put farmers at the center of nation's policy making and our business strategy" Soundararajan said.

CLFMA calls upon all the industry stakeholders to cooperate and leverage mutual synergies to improve farmers' income. Soundararajan added: "It's time to redefine India's animal-agribusiness sector. Let us work together to formulate farmer-centric policies and sow seeds for evergreen revolution through innovation. It requires a thorough review of our business strategies and how technology can help in solving chronic problems that plague the industry since long."

- CLFMA