Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh addressed the 2nd Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation at Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome. At the High-level Ministerial session, Shri Singh highlighted India’s farmer centric initiatives , Innovations and transformations that are driving inclusive growth in livestock and dairy sector in the country.
While conveying India’s deep appreciation to FAO and its Director-General Dr. QU Dongyu for inviting India to share its experiences and best practices, he expressed pride in India’s role as the First Vice Chair of the Sub-Committee on Livestock established under FAO. Shri Singh stated “Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has undertaken a series of transformative and inclusive initiatives to ensure food security, improve nutritional outcomes, strengthen livelihoods, and eradicate poverty.” Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh noted that since COVID-19, India’s welfare measures have lifted 269 million people out of extreme poverty, reducing it from 27.1% to 5.3%, as per the 2025 World Bank Report. He underlined the central role of the livestock sector in providing sustainable livelihoods to nearly two-thirds of rural households and millions of small and marginal farmers, many of them being women. He said that the livestock sector has recorded an impressive CAGR of 12.77% in recent years that contributes 31% to agricultural Gross Value Added (GVA) and 5.5% to the national economy. Shri Singh highlighted that India is today the world’s largest producer of milk, accounting for nearly 25% of global output with an annual production of 239 million tonnes. India is also the second-largest producer of eggs and a leading exporter of buffalo meat.
While addressing the gathering, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh credited India’s livestock progress to people-centric policies, global cooperation, and the resilience of smallholder farmers. He reaffirmed India’s 80-year partnership with FAO and commitment to share scalable innovations with the Global South. Stressing that the Global Plan of Action for Sustainable Livestock Transformation must remain a guiding framework and not become a prescriptive model. He stressed that it must allow space for national priorities, capacities, and circumstances of the developing countries. He called for finance, technology transfer, and capacity building to support a phased transition. Reaffirming India’s vision, the Union Minister resolved to make the sector more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient.
