TIRUPATI: Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu has stressed the need to promote integrated farming practices to improve the productivity of livestock and double farmers’ income.
Delivering the 8th convocation address of Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University (SVVU) here on Wednesday, he said that animal husbandry is vital for ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable agriculture system.
Pointing out that the agriculture sector contributes 17 per cent of India’s total GDP, out of which, 27 per cent comes from animal husbandry and overall, the dairy, poultry and aqua industries contribute 4.4 per cent to the nation’s GDP, the Vice-President said that these numbers signify the crucial role played by these sectors in the economy.The Vice-President said that poultry, fisheries, sericulture, and other services have great potential to contribute towards employment and economic growth.
Expressing concern over the mismatch in supply and demand of veterinary manpower in India, Venkaiah Naidu asked the authorities to fill vacant positions in academic, R&D, extension and field institutions to serve the needs of farmers.
He wanted all veterinary and agricultural universities to have engineering and IT departments to make use of the endless possibilities of technology in general and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in particular.