'Integrated farming can ensure food security'

Adoption of integrated farming can ensure food security and help tackle challenges in the livestock sector, a senior official of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) said today.
Livestock is an important source of income for rural population and its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been increasing every year, ICAR Deputy Director General (Animal Sciences) Prof. K M L Pathak said here.
He was delivering the fifth Vijaya Bank Endowment lecture on 'Livestock production for food security' at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Veterinary Education and Research (RIVER).
The mixed farming practice can integrate various rearing combinations like cattle-fish, pig-fish, goat-fish and duck-fish, he said.

He also said that time had come for diversification of agriculture and pointed out that animal husbandry is seen today as 'any time encashable insurance'.
He also said that the ICAR has evolved a project for attracting youths to agriculture. This was to encourage youths in villages to take up livestock rearing.
He appreciated the initiatives of farmers in villages in Puducherry to grow fodder and this was indication that farmers knew of the importance of livestock, he said.