International symposium on sustainable livestock transformation kicks off at NDDB – Times of India

Vadodara: Union minister of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying Parshottam Rupala inaugurated an international symposium on sustainable livestock transformation at the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in milk city Anand on Tuesday.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Govt of India (GOI), NDDB, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations are jointly organising the two day symposium under the Agriculture Working Group (AWG) of G20.
Alka Upadhyaya, secretary, DAHD, Dr Meenesh Shah, chairman, NDDB, Dr Abhijit Mitra, animal husbandry commissioner (AHC) of GOI, Tiensin Thanawat, director, animal production and health division, FAO, Caroline Emond, director general of International Dairy Federation, Dr Ailan Li, assistant director general of WHO’s healthier population division, Dr Hirofumi Kugita, regional representative for the Asia & Pacific, World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Takayuki Hagiwara, FAO representative in India, Dr Jamie Jonker, chief science officer, National Milk Producers Federation among other dignitaries graced the occasion.
A total of 28 foreign participants from FAO, Kenya Dairy Board, Canada, USA, France, Russia, UK, Australia, Mauritius, Brazil, The Netherlands are participating in the symposium.
Rupala commended NDDB for organising the symposium and emphasised the role of technology in the livestock sector. He said that the symposium deliberations will help disseminate various innovations in the livestock sector for sustainable transformation.
Upadhyaya said that sustainable transformation in the livestock sector becomes more relevant considering the quantum of farmers and other stakeholders associated with the sector, its role in providing livelihoods and food security, and the prominence of smallholder production systems.
Shah said that there has been an increasing realization that the health of all living systems on this planet are interdependent and disturbing one ecosystem is bound to impact the other.
“This has been epitomized in the saying “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam” which translates as “the world is one family” or putting it differently it is “One Earth, One Family, One Future” which is the signature theme of India’s G20 Presidency,” he said.