Lamenting the abysmally low budgetary support to animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries, Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh on Monday said the government will soon unveil a livestock policy to enhance resources for the neglected sector and enable it to withstand challenges under the World Trade Organisation regime.
"Budgetary allocation to the sector has further declined to 0.62 per cent of the total budgetary resources for the Tenth Plan from 1.1 per cent during the Ninth plan", he said inaugurating State Ministers' Conference on Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in New Delhi.
Though the contribution of livestock and fisheries sector, employing over 18 million people, to the GDP is 7.35 per cent, plan allocation has not been comensurate with its significant role in the economy, Singh said.
Since growth in crop output is stagnating at 2 per cent, an overall 4 per cent growth target in agriculture can be achieved only by attaining 8 per cent growth rate in animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries sector, he said.
The proposed policy, whose draft has been circulated to states, would be finalised and announced shortly providing a road map for growth in the sector as also to encourage capital formation and resource mobilisation,Singh said.
On WTO, he said quick steps are needed to explore opportunities for marketable surplus and protect Indian producers from cheap imports.
Asking the cooperative sector to play an active role in the poultry sector as it has done in dairy industry, the minister said the extensive marketing network of cooperatives would be of immense help in boosting livestock activities.
