Enhancing Livestock Gross Value Added (GVA) in India: Technological innovations, policy frameworks, and emerging research priorities
Author(s): Ravi Babu Surisetti
Abstract: The livestock industry is one of the critical pillars of the agricultural economy in India, and it is responsible for a significant portion of the income of rural people, their employment, and gross domestic product (national output). This review examines the factors that influence the livestock sector’s Gross Value Added (GVA) from to 2014-2015 to 2022-2023 and how technological innovations, financial resources, and policy frame-works influence the GVA of the livestock sector. Based on data from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD, 2024), and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI, 2024) the livestock GVA in nominal terms has grown from Rs 3.9 lakhs crores to Rs 6.9 lakhs crores; at constant (2011-12) price levels this represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.67%. Concurrently, livestock share within the agriculture and allied sectors has grown from 24.3% to 30% while its contribution to the total national GVA has grown to 5.5%. Improved productivity and sustainability in dairy production have been achieved through technological innovations, such as sex-sorted semen, in vitro fertilization, and genomics. Initiatives of the Indian Government through the National Livestock Policy (2023), Rashtriya Gokul Mission, and Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund are aimed at promoting further development in the livestock value chain and improveing animal health and disease management. The above measures are expected to increase the GVA from the livestock sector by an additional Rs 2.5 trillion by 2030. Therefore, the review concludes that there is a need to integrate digital governance, sustainable financing mechanisms and climate-resilient breeding strategies to sustain the average annual growth of GVA from the livestock sector at a level of 7 to 8 percent and to ensure that the livestock industry continues to be a key component in the process of transforming the agricultural sector of India.
