ABSTRACT
Like the rest of the nation, livestock is an important sector from the rural standpoint of the economy of Karnataka contributing about 3.6% to the state domestic product and 24% of the income from the agriculture sector. The importance of the livestock sector in the state is growing steadily in view of the changing geometrographic composition, food habits, and the nutritive value of animal protein contributing to nutrition security. The total value of production is dominated by milk followed by marine products and meat. When it comes to growth poultry stands first followed by milk, meat, and marine products. Feed and fodder constitute the most important factor of production for the growth of livestock. It is estimated that about 60–70% of livestock production accounts for feed and fodder. Over the last two decades, the state as a whole recorded a 52% deficit in fodder availability which threatens to become a bottleneck for livestock production in the future.
The chapter discusses the FAO approach to livestock development which aims at holistic livestock development strategies with the aim of conserving the natural resource base, raising productivity through the better utilisation of available resources, expanding production where there is sufficient demand and resources can be utilised at a reasonable cost to the environment, and optimising the allocation of development resources through rational administration and management. This would yield a series of development options and policies that can be implemented.
