India’s livestock sector must move from production to profitability: Prof. Abhijit Mitra

Dairy, Livestock & Fisheries

In an exclusive conversation with Dr Navneet Anand, Editor of IndiAgri, Prof. Abhijit Mitra, Vice Chancellor, DUVASU (Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go-Anusandhan Sansthan), Mathura and former Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Government of India, discusses the transformation of India’s livestock sector, the economics of dairy farming, lifetime animal performance, genomics, artificial intelligence, disease surveillance and the role of livestock in building Viksit Bharat 2047. With more than three decades at the intersection of veterinary science, animal health, public health, food security and livestock policy, Prof. Mitra has held several key positions, including Animal Husbandry Commissioner and India’s Chief Veterinary Officer. He has also been associated with national and international initiatives on One Health, animal disease control and livestock development. Priya Singh compiles the excerpts collated from the conversation. “The livestock sector is no longer a subsidiary of crop agriculture” Q. You have worked across veterinary science, livestock policy, research and academic leadership. Looking back at this long journey, what is the biggest change you have seen in India’s livestock and agricultural sector? And how is it aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047? Prof. Mitra: I joined this sector as a student in 1982, so it...