The creation of a separate ministerial portfolio for animal husbandry, dairying, and fisheries for the first time by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second term has aroused keen interest in the agricultural policy space. With Modi’s goal of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022 dominating the political narrative and the overall policy framework, and the livestock and fisheries sub-sectors contributing significantly higher to the agricultural GDP compared to the crop production sub-sector, the new ministry has been hailed by stakeholders, mostly in the dairy industry. India being the largest milk producer in the world surely deserves to have a separate line ministry dedicated to the sector, after all.
Photo credit: India National Dairy Development Board
