Punjab wants Livestock Products Export Development Authority

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has sought setting up a Livestock Products Export Development Authority (LPEDA) to focus exclusively on comprehensive development of the animal products sector and to harness its tremendous export potential.
The establishment of such a body would help provide products needed to meet the burgeoning demand of food by the world's growing population, the Chief Minister has written in a communique to Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu.
An authority of this nature would also enable the sector to address the technological constraints currently inhibiting it and to realise its true potential to provide world-class products and effectively compete in the international marketplace, said Amarinder.

The chief minister further said that there were several such authorities in the plant sector, but the animal sector in India lacked any trade promotion scheme.
He pointed out that livestock sector in the country accounts for 4.11 per cent of the GDP and 25.6 per cent of the total agriculture GDP, besides 29 per cent of the value of the output from total agriculture and allied sector.
About 20.5 million people, who represent 8.8 per cent of the country's population and about two-thirds of the rural population, depend upon livestock for their livelihood, with India having the largest bovine population in the world, besides ranking second and third in goat and sheep population respectively.

He further stressed the need to give priority to export of livestock products, which would enhance valuable foreign exchange earnings, exponentially increase farmer's incomes and achieve the target of doubling farmers' incomes in line with the government of India's goal.
A largely unorganised sector, livestock desperately needs technological inputs to have healthy and disease-free animals and to boost acceptability of Indias animal products in the international market, said the chief minister.