Union Minister Rajiv Historic 21st Livestock Census with unique features to Capture Data on Pastoralist Holdings and Gender Roles in Livestock Rearing
The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh will launch the pivotal initiative of the 21st Livestock Census operation. The launch will take place on 25th October 2024 at 10:00 AM at Hotel Leela Ambience Convention, Shahdara, New Delhi.
The event will also be graced by the Ministers of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel and Shri George Kurian serving as Guests of Honour. The event will also see the participation of distinguished guests including Shri Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa; Prof. Dr. V K Paul, Member Health, NITI Aayog; Ms. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying; and Ms. Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Health & Family Welfare.
21st Livestock Census Operation
The Livestock Census (LC) is a crucial exercise that has been conducted every five years since 1919, serving as the backbone for policy formulation and the implementation of various programmes in the Animal Husbandry sector. The Census involves a comprehensive door-to-door survey that captures detailed data on domesticated animals and birds across the nation. Till date 20 Livestock censuses had been conducted and the last census was held in the year 2019.
The rollout of the 21st Livestock Census, scheduled to be conducted during October 2024 – February 2025, will be in collaboration with State/UT Animal Husbandry and Dairying. At all India level around 1 lakh field officials who are mostly veterinarians or para-veterinarians will be involved in the enumeration process. This LC will leverage mobile technology for data collection and transmission. This advancement is expected to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of data collection across all villages and urban wards in the country.
Data on 15 species of Livestock viz. Cattle, Buffalo, Mithun, Yak, Sheep, Goat, Pig, Camel, Horse, Ponies, Mule, Donkey, Dog, Rabbit and Elephant are covered in this census. Other than Livestock, headcount of Poultry Birds viz. Fowl, Duck, Turkey, Geese, Quail, Gini Fowl, Ostrich and Emu will also be taken from each Household/ Household Enterprises/ Non-households/Institution. This LC will capture data on 219 Indigenous breeds of 16 species recognised by ICAR-National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR). Notably, it will be the first LC in the country in which data on livestock holding by pastoralists will be available independently. This LC will also make available information on “Gender of the person majorly involved in livestock rearing”.
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying invites all stakeholders to participate in the event of launch of the 21st Livestock Census Operation which is very important for the interest of the livestock sector of the Nation.