Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder

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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.)