Lok Sabha Question No. 3160 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-08
Subject: Indian Council of Medical Research
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3160 TO BE ANSWERED ON 8 TH  AUGUST, 2023

## INDIAN COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH

3160. SHRI T.R. BAALU:

Will the Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying

मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री

be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  (ICMR)  has  recommended  that  India should shift  from  traditional  animal  husbandry  practices  and  invest  in  new  technologies  to animal breeding and rearing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and

(b) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Union and State Governments in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER FOR FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

(a) and  (b)  The  Department  of  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying  has  not  received recommendation from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) that India should shift from  traditional  animal  husbandry  practices  and  invest  in  new  technologies  to  animal breeding  and  rearing  to  reduce  greenhouse  gas  emissions.  However,  in  India  dairy  sector plays an important role in rural economy and provide livelihood support to more than 8 crore rural  families.  About  12-26%  of  the  rural  household  income  comes  from  the  Animal Husbandry  and  dairying  sector.  Further,  land  in  our  country  is  not  equitably  distributed among the farmers whereas, more than 90% of the livestock are with small, marginal and landless  labourers.Indian  livestock  utilize  large  volumes  of  agricultural  byproducts  and unconventional  feed  material.  Due  to  the  traditional  way  of  manure  management  in  India such  as  preparation  of  dung  cakes  and  use  of  farm  yard  manure,  the  cow  dung  methane emission is also negligible. In order to modernize traditional animal husbandry practices and adopt  new  technologies  in  Animal  Husbandry  to  reduce  greenhouse  gas  emissions  from livestock  following  steps  has  been  taken  by  the  Department  and  are  implemented  by  the States:

(i) Breed Improvement:  Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is promoting breed  improvement  under  Rashtriya  Gokul  Mission  to  enhance  milk  production  and productivity, genetic upgradation of bovine population thereby making dairying more green and sustainable.

(ii) Balanced  Feeding:    Department  of  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying  is  promoting green fodder production, silage making, chaff cutting and total mixed ration under National Livestock Mission. Ration Balancing Programme is promoted under National Dairy Plan-I. Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has launched e Gopala App on 10.9.2020 for farmers, this app is guiding farmers for balanced feeding of animals. (iii) Improving  Feed  Quality:    To  reduce  the  ill-effects  of  poor  quality  feed,  the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has issued advisory to the States for ureamolasses treatment of straw, silage making and chopping of fodder before feeding livestock. (iv) Improvement in Health Status:  In order to control and eradicate animal diseases the Department is implementing disease control programme for control of FMD, Brucellosis, Pesti-des  Petits  Ruminants  (PPR)  and  Classical  Swine  Fever  (CSF)  through  carpet vaccination for all eligible livestock in the country. Funds are made available to States for establishment  of  Mobile  Veterinary  Units  in  order  to  deliver  quality  livestock  health services at the farmers doorstep. (v) Better  management  of  cow  dung  is  promoted  by  the  Department  of  Animal Husbandry  and  Dairying.  With  the  efforts  made  by  the  Department  National  Dairy Development  Board  has  taken  up  a  establishment  of  4000  cubic  meter  biogas  plant  at Varanasi Milk union, which will use 100 MT per day of dung purchased from farmers. The biogas is used to produce thermal and electrical energy required for milk processing of the dairy plant.  Bioslurry obtained from the plant will be converted in biofertilizer and made available to member farmers at reasonable rates. (vi) Banaskantha Milk Union has installed 2000 cubic meter of biogas plant. Around 40 Tonnes  of  dung  is  purchased  by  the  union  from  its  farmers  to  produce  the  biogas.  The biogas  produced  is  purified  and  compressed  to  produce  CBG  which  is  used  as  fuel  in vehicles. An exclusive CBG fuel station is setup by the Banaskantha Milk Union. Bio slurry produced from the biogas plant is utilized to produce value added organic fertilizer and sold at reasonable rates to dairy farmers. Better  management  of  dung  is  also  promoted  under  Gobardhan  Yojna  by  the Department  of  Drinking  Water  and  Sanitation.  Ministry  of  New  and  Renewable  Energy (MNRE) has developed small size user friendly biogas plants for better utilization of cow

(vii) dung and minimizing methane emission.

(viii) Central Pollution Control Board formulated the Guidelines and circulated to all the State Pollution Control Boards /Pollution Control Committees for implementation in their States/Union Territories to reduce pollution in rural areas.

****