The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, organized a Virtual Awareness Program for livestock farmers across Western and Southern States/UTs through the Common Service Centres (CSC) on 11^thJuly, 2025. The program was chaired by Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Hon’ble Minister of State for Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Smt. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, DAHDalso graced the program with her presence.

Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, Hon’ble Minister of State, highlighted the program as a valuable opportunity for direct engagement with the livestock farmers. He commended the Department’s efforts in enhancing milk production, noting the significant contribution of initiatives such as the use of Sex-Sorted Semen (SSS). He mentioned that the price of SSS has been drastically reduced—making it significantly more accessible and affordable for farmers across the country. He urged the farmers to actively engage in the sessionas it would help them to translate knowledge “from lab to land” for practical application in livestock farming.He also interacted with farmers from various States, inquiring about their livestock, access to veterinary services, and their awareness of departmental schemes.

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Smt. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, DAHD, underscored the critical importance of timely vaccination in safeguarding livestock health and preventing the spread of diseases. She elaborated on the concept of zoonotic diseases, which can be transmitted from animals to humans, highlighting the need for disease control measures. She also emphasized the role of advanced breed improvement techniques in enhancing productivity. She encouraged farmers to actively apply the knowledge gained from the program to their practices, thereby contributing to the overall development of the animal husbandry sector.

Livestock farmers participated in the awareness program through 2,000 locations across the Western and Southern States/UTs of the country. Farmers have joined this program from the locationsacross the States and UTs including Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.Over 1 lakh livestock farmers participated in the session. The program was aimed to aware farmers on critical aspects of animal husbandry including breed improvement, vaccination, zoonotic disease control, and sanitation practices.The program featured expert sessions and educational videos on SSS, and vaccination.

The initiative is part of the Department’s efforts to improve awareness on livestock and dairy sector by leveraging digital platforms and engaging directly with the livestock and dairy farmers.

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RN

(Release ID: 2144123)