Livestock Sector Growth and Poverty, with particular reference to India

The prospects for livestock production are generally very good. Demand for, and production of, livestock and livestock products in less developed countries (LDCs) is expected to double over the next 20 years (Delgado et al., 1999). Livestock production has been growing faster than any other agricultural sub-sector, and it is predicted that by 2020 livestock will account for more than half of total global agricultural output in financial terms. (This process has been termed the ‘livestock revolution’.) Thus, any discussion about agricultural growth and poverty needs to take account of trends and prospects in the livestock sector. The livestock revolution presents both opportunities and threats to resource-poor livestock-keepers in LDCs. The increased demand for livestock products could represent sustained, and perhaps increased, revenues for them. On the other hand, they could face increased competition from larger, more commercially oriented livestock production units. One dimension of the livestock revolution has been the industrialisation of livestock production, with production changing from being the traditional local multi-purpose activity to an increasingly market-oriented and vertically-integrated business (Delgado et al., 1999; Steinfeld, 2002). There is a real danger that large-scale intensive producers could undermine the viability of small-scale livestock production, thereby exacerbating rural poverty (Steinfeld, 2002). Whether or not this happens will depend on two factors. One is government policies, and how supportive they are of small scale production. The other is the extent to which small-scale producers are able to increase the efficiency of their operations and the productivity of their animals. This in turn will depend partly on the efficacy of research and extension systems in supporting them