Livestock Economy of Himachal Pradesh: Need to Strengthen Animal Health and Veterinary Services

摘要

Considering the significant contribution of livestock sector to the economy of Himachal Pradesh, the present paper has examined the provisions of animal health and veterinary services, especially with respect to manpower, in the state using the secondary data. The findings have revealed that there has been a perceptible growth in production of various livestock products. The breed improvement programme has yielded good results'as one-third of the cattle and one-fifth of the sheep are now crossbred/exotic. There has been infrastructure build-up in terms of veterinary institutions, but the manpower is becoming more acute in the animal husbandry department. These trends will have implications for the delivery of quality animal health and veterinary services in the long-run. The study has suggested that measures should be undertaken to strengthen animal health care and veterinary services for developing a strong livestock economy in the state.