The livestock sector has a huge contribution to the national economy and is responsible for 25.6% of the total agriculture GDP. It contributes 4.11% to the GDP in India, thereby making it one of the most important economic sectors. Taking care of cattle provides employment to a large number of people directly and indirectly thereby contributing immensely to the economy.
Employment: Livestock in India provides employment to about 8.8% of its population. It includes both rural and urban populations. The landless, less land, lower-income and lower cast people depend upon livestock for utilizing their labour during the lean agricultural season. In fact, it is an important income-generating activity so many people in the rural areas are involved with livestock activities.
Income: Income from livestock is an important asset for the poor and rural population, playing a crucial role in reducing poverty. In fact, the livestock sector has been considered as a safety net for many rural poor during difficult times. It also serves as a social safety net for many households that rely on animals which act as savings and insurance mechanisms against poverty.
Nutrition: Livestock production is an important source of animal protein in the Indian diet and as such its productivity is very important. Meat and eggs constitute another important source of animal protein in the Indian cuisine. Milk, which serves as a source of nutritious food for all ages of human beings, also links agriculture with industry because the manufacture of ghee, cheese, butter, and condensed milk is dependent on milk. Also, fibers like cotton and jute are largely produced by food crops.
Social security: Owning livestock is one of the quickest ways to increase your standard of living in India. Livestock owners have a higher standard of living than those who don’t own any animals. With cattle and goats, the rural population is able to pay school fees for their children, afford more nutritious food, live in better houses as well as enjoy the dignity that comes with animal ownership. The animals offer social security to the owners in terms of their status in the society. The families, especially the landless who own animals are better placed than those who do not.
Gender equity: Animal husbandry is a rewarding livelihood option for women, since it is nature-bound and requires little fixed capital. The informal nature of animal husbandry makes it difficult to collect data on employment generated by this sector. More than 3/4th of the labour demand in livestock production is met by women. The share of women employment in the livestock sector is around 90% in Punjab and Haryana where dairying is a prominent activity and animals are stall-fed.
Protection against disasters: Livestock plays an important role in mitigating the effect of drought and famine throughout the country. They provide not only meat and milk, but also manure for crops and skins for leather. In addition, they keep the soil fertile. Moreover, the rural banks in India have shown that a small unit of livestock can give enough security to enable poorer people to borrow from these banks against their livestock when they are facing problems with food, medical care, etc.
Rashtriya Gokul Mission: The main objective of Rashtriya Gokul Mission is conservation, development and improvement of indigenous breeds of bovine livestock through sustainable production technologies. This mission will also focus on improving milk production and productivity and also generation of income to the farmers and breeders.
National Livestock Mission: The objective of the National Livestock Mission is to ensure quantitative and qualitative improvement in livestock production systems and capacity building of all stakeholders supported through development, research, extension, and education. The Mission aims at diversifying the agriculture-based cropping systems for ensuring food security and livelihoods of people, enhancing the sustainable resource base to improve the ecosystem services for biodiversity conservation and climate change adaption in partnership with the States.
National Artificial Insemination Programme: The National Artificial Insemination Programme (NAIP) aims to improve the efficiency of domestic livestock breeding by means of artificial insemination and to prevent the spread of various diseases transmitted through semen. The program is supported by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India.
National Cattle and Buffalo Breeding Project: The National Cattle and Buffalo Breeding Project (NCBBP) has been initiated by the Government of India. It aims at improving productivity, milk quality, disease resistance, drought tolerance and bio-security through the development and conservation of indigenous breeds.
Animal Husbandry Start-up Grand Challenge: The challenge aims to promote innovative and technological developments in dairy farming and allied activities that have potential to improve milk productivity, profitability of ruminants as well as contribute to economic growth. The initiative aims to appreciate innovations coming from the villages to expand the dairy sector in India.