Punjab wants Livestock Products Export Development Authority
Punjab wants Livestock Products Export Development Authority
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder
Singh has sought setting up a Livestock Products Export
Development Authority (LPEDA) to focus exclusively on
comprehensive development of the animal products sector and to
harness its tremendous export potential.
The establishment of such a body would help provide
products needed to meet the burgeoning demand of food by the
world's growing population, the Chief Minister has written in
a communique to Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu.
An authority of this nature would also enable the sector
to address the technological constraints currently inhibiting
it and to realise its true potential to provide world-class
products and effectively compete in the international
marketplace, said Amarinder.
The chief minister further said that there were several
such authorities in the plant sector, but the animal sector in
India lacked any trade promotion scheme.
He pointed out that livestock sector in the country
accounts for 4.11 per cent of the GDP and 25.6 per cent of the
total agriculture GDP, besides 29 per cent of the value of the
output from total agriculture and allied sector.
About 20.5 million people, who represent 8.8 per cent
of the country's population and about two-thirds of the rural
population, depend upon livestock for their livelihood, with
India having the largest bovine population in the world,
besides ranking second and third in goat and sheep population
respectively.
He further stressed the need to give priority to export
of livestock products, which would enhance valuable foreign
exchange earnings, exponentially increase farmer's incomes and
achieve the target of doubling farmers' incomes in line with
the government of India's goal.
A largely unorganised sector, livestock desperately needs
technological inputs to have healthy and disease-free animals
and to boost acceptability of India s animal products in the
international market, said the chief minister.
(This article has not been edited by Zeebiz editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
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