National symposium on climate change, livestock productivity
Animal scientists from across the country would discuss next week strategy to fight the adverse impact of climate change on livestock.
About 150 scientists from different ICAR institutes, state Agriculture Universities, state departments and NGO's would participate in the two-day national symposium on October 7-8 at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal (Haryana) to discuss the issue.
"There is an urgent need to evolve adaptation and mitigation strategies by combining the indigenous traditional knowledge with modern science to manage and protect the livelihood of farmers associated with livestock against climate change," Rameshwar Singh Head Dairy Microbiology Division, NDRI told PTI.
The symposium is organised by NDRI jointly with the Indian Association of Animal Production. Dwelling on the problem, he said in recent past climate change has become a major concern due to increased greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere mainly due to anthropogenic or human activities.
As per reports, over the past century the global mean ambient temperature has increased between 0.3 and 0.6 degree Celsius and the sea level has risen between 10-25 cm. It has been estimated that the global average surface temperature is likely to rise by a further 1.8-4.0 degree Celsius by the end of this century, he added.
The major challenge faced by farmers and livestock owners in India is that these changes in climate have both direct and indirect effect on animal production, reproduction along with emergence and re-emergence of many animal diseases.
It has been estimated that the annual loss in total milk production due to heat stress on livestock is around two per cent in the country, amounting to over Rs 2,661 crore.
India produced about 110 million tonnes of milk last year.
