MILKY WAY: India Reveals Ambitious Plan to Boost Indigenous Livestock Breeds and Dairy Productivity

India has revealed a major policy and infrastructure push to advance the development of indigenous animal breeds, with a national workshop in Lucknow that charted a high-tech roadmap for boosting dairy and livestock productivity.

The “Workshop on Breed Development in India,” chaired by Union Minister Lalan Singh, brought together over 700 stakeholders from across India. These included livestock farmers, scientists, policy experts, and government officials. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the event, and underscored its political and strategic weight.

Image Source: PIB India

Held at the Indira Gandhi Convention Centre, the day-long deliberations focused on deploying cutting-edge technologies like In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Sex Sorted Semen (SSS), and Artificial Insemination (AI) to accelerate genetic improvement and preserve India's rich diversity of indigenous livestock breeds.

"Breed improvement is not just about boosting output; it's about building resilience, enhancing sustainability, and increasing farmer incomes," said Union Minister Lalan Singh, and emphasised the role of advanced biotechnologies in transforming rural livelihoods.

The workshop also saw the launch of key infrastructure projects under the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), including new dairy processing units in Amethi, Bareilly, and Mathura, and the inauguration of the Artificial Insemination Training Institute in Gorakhpur. 

A national framework for establishing Breeders' Associations was introduced to formalize and scale breed development networks.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted the state’s efforts to eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and promote women-led dairy cooperatives. 

“Climate, hygiene, and proper care are essential to livestock productivity. We’re focused on scientific breeding, breed-specific training, and sustainable natural farming,” he said.

Government officials, including Secretary of Animal Husbandry and Dairying Alka Upadhyaya, stressed the sector’s role in achieving India’s broader development goals. India is currently the world’s largest milk producer, with more than 239 million tonnes produced in 2024, according to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.

Two panel discussions featured field-level success stories and addressed the application of technology in genetic tracking, disease resistance, and improving reproductive health in livestock. 

Experts highlighted the role of MAITRIs (Multipurpose Artificial Insemination Technicians in Rural India) in taking breeding services directly to farmers’ doorsteps.

Officials called for tighter coordination between states and the central government, improved veterinary infrastructure, and more inclusive farmer engagement to ensure equitable growth across the livestock value chain.