Introduction As high as 70% of livestock market in India is owned by 67% of small and marginal farmers and by the land less. 60% of livestock farming labor is provided by women and more than 90% of work related to care of animals is rendered by womenfolk of the family. Indian Livestock is reared in close human proximity where they form component of the life system of the people. Cows, buffaloes, bullocks, mule and donkeys are not just utility animals, but also companions at work for the toiling poor who rear them along side their own dwelling. India has 53% of world Buffalo population and 15% of world Cattle population. In terms of sheep population, India ranks fifth after Australia, China, Iran and New Zealand. Production area Rajasthan, Jammu, Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, hilly regions of North and Eastern Himalays are the Indian regions with maximum livestock population. Growth promotional activities The Indian government has collaboration and policies to provide guidance for a more holistic planning, implementation and monitoring of animal husbandry projects. Following plans have also been made:
Also, the government has planned to assure a sound Natural Resource Management (NRM) Sphere co-ordination and implementation at country level for SDC.
Create / enhance synergy between the activities of the Livestock production and Dairying (LPD) and Sustainable Land Use (SLU) sectors
Enlarge the scope for new and innovative interventions and for support to technical development and technology transfer.
Promote and support validation, documentation and dissemination of experiences in order to contribute to the process of knowledge management in SDC and Inter cooperation (IC) and to strengthen inputs for policy and strategic dialogue with partners and actors in the NRM Sphere.
New Livestock Policy developed by the Indian Government in collaboration with the Swiss Development Corporation is a policy of ecocide of indigenous cattle breeds and a policy of genocide for India's small farmers.
Types Prominent among livestock supply from India are cows, buffaloes, camel, goats, sheep, pigs etc..