ILRI and India’s Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying plan further collaboration

India’s Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAHD) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) are exploring opportunities for further collaboration to promote the development of the country's livestock sector. On 26 September 2023, Habibar Rahman, ILRI’s regional representative for South Asia, met with Alka Upadhyaya, secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), MoFAHD, and Abhijit Mitra, animal husbandry commissioner, DAHD,  to discuss potential collaboration opportunities.

Habibar Rahman, regional representative for ILRI in South Asia, greeting Alka Upadhyaya, secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in India (photo credit: ILRI/South Asia).

Rahman briefed the secretary about ILRI’s work in South Asia as a whole and particularly in India, highlighting various projects that ILRI is undertaking in collaboration with international partners like the World Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The Donkey Sanctuary, as well as national partners like Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and state governments. He also explained the collaborative projects on climate change, methane emission and its mitigation, animal disease economics, feed and fodder, backyard poultry genomics, antimicrobial resistance and One Health activities. Of particular note was the Bihar and Odisha states livestock master plan project and how it can be replicated elsewhere in India.

‘We’re grateful to the ministry for sanctioning the “Genetic improvement of Gir cattle in the Amreli District of Gujarat” project. The INR 20.00 crores (2.4 million USD) project will be implemented with the support of the State Animal Husbandry Department and State Agricultural/Veterinary University,’ Rahman said.

Upadhyaya suggested having another meeting to finalize the areas where the ministry and ILRI can work together for mutual benefit. Rahman requested her to visit ILRI headquarters and she agreed to do so in the coming year.

Further reading:
https://www.ilri.org/news/ilri-and-indias-ministry-fisheries-animal-husbandry-and-dairying-discuss-priority-areas

(The post was edited by Terry Mwenda, communications officer, publishing and editing, ILRI, and Paul Karaimu, communications officer, ILRI)