Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh Highlights India’s Dairy & Livestock Leadership at FAO Global Conference in Rome

Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh Highlights India’s Dairy & Livestock Leadership at FAO Global Conference in Rome

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.

Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, addressed the 2nd Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation at FAO Rome. He shared India’s transformative journey in livestock under the leadership of Hon’ble PM Shri… pic.twitter.com/bjAsuJJvTH

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.

Key initiatives undertaken by India in the Livestock Sector as highlighted by Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh at FAO, Rome :