Abstract

Animal Husbandry sector provides large self-employment opportunities. This sector play a significant role in supplementing family incomes and generating gainful employment in the rural sector, particularly among the landless labourers, small and marginal farmers and women, besides providing cheap nutritional food to many people. The farming sector not only provides essential proteins and nutritious human diet through milk, eggs, meat, etc. but also plays a crucial role in utilization of non-edible agricultural by-products. Livestock also provides raw material byproducts such as hides and skins, blood, bone, fat, etc. Livestock are the best insurance against the vagaries of nature like drought, famine and other natural calamities. Animal Husbandry, dairying and Fisheries sector engage 23.68 million persons.