MUMBAI: The second day of the Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association (CLFMA) of India’s 67th National Symposium brought together policymakers, industry leaders, scientists, farmers and representatives of national industry associations to discuss the future of India’s animal-agriculture sector.
Held at The Leela Mumbai under the theme ‘Animal Agriculture – The Backbone of Sustainable Development’, the second day focused on feed security, productivity, technology, veterinary capacity, trade, farmer development and the role of animal agriculture in global food security.
The programme opened with a welcome address by Divya Kumar Gulati, Chairman of CLFMA of India. Sunil Kataria, CEO and Managing Director of Godrej Agrovet Ltd, delivered the theme-based presentation, setting the context for discussions around changing animal-agriculture value chains and the need for greater efficiency and sustainability.
Government-industry collaboration discussed
A major session during the day was an interactive policy roundtable on ‘Government and sector partnership for animal agriculture’. Moderated by Manisha Gupta, Editor – Commodities & Currencies, CNBC, the session brought together government and industry representatives.
Participants included Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying; Dr Muthukumarasamy B, Joint Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying; BS Yadav, former Managing Director of Godrej Agrovet; Suresh Rayudu Chitturi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Srinivasa Farms; and Daljeet Singh, President of the Progressive Dairy Farmers Association.
The discussion focused on improving productivity, farmer capabilities, market linkages and resilience across India’s animal-agriculture value chain.
AI enters animal agriculture
Technology was another major focus, with a dedicated presentation on artificial intelligence in animal agriculture by Bhaskar.
The session explored how AI and data-driven technologies could support productivity, decision-making and operational efficiency across farms and animal-agriculture value chains. The inclusion of AI reflected growing interest in using technology to address operational and productivity challenges within the sector.
Feed security remains a major concern
Feed availability emerged as one of the central issues during the symposium. CLFMA highlighted the importance of strengthening domestic supplies of key feed ingredients, particularly maize and soybean, which face competing demand from other industries.
The poultry sector’s feed requirement was highlighted at approximately 30 million tonnes, with annual demand increasing by around 3–3.5 million tonnes. Since maize accounts for approximately 55% of poultry feed, improving crop productivity and ensuring reliable availability could be important for meeting the sector’s growing requirements.
The discussions also emphasised stronger farmer capabilities, efficient value chains and greater resilience at the farm level.
International and industry perspectives
Kevin Roepke, Executive Director MENASA at the US Soybean Export Council, addressed the symposium, bringing an international perspective to discussions on feed raw materials, trade and the animal-agriculture value chain.
The ‘One Nation, One Voice’ panel subsequently focused on greater alignment among industry associations. Representatives from poultry, aquaculture and related sectors discussed the importance of coordinated policy advocacy on feed availability, exports, infrastructure, technology and farmer development.
Pet food was also included in the programme, with Dr Saurabh Shekhar discussing developments in the pet-care business and the expanding role of the segment within the wider animal-related economy.
Veterinary capacity and productivity
A session on animal agriculture and global food security brought together representatives from government, scientific institutions, poultry organisations and livestock businesses.
Discussions highlighted the importance of animal health, quality feed, genetics, research, farmer capacity and productivity in supporting food and nutritional security.
CLFMA also identified veterinary capacity as an important priority, including the potential for greater private-sector participation in veterinary education to address shortages of trained professionals.
The symposium further highlighted a shift towards enterprise-led livestock farming, with productivity, market linkages and farmer capabilities becoming increasingly important as demand for animal-based products changes.
Awards and sector recognition
The two-day programme also recognised contributions to India’s animal-agriculture sector. Jagbir Singh Dhull received the CLFMA Lifetime Achievement Award.
CLFMA Gold Medals were awarded to Dr Abhishek Venkat for the poultry sector, Dr Mehnaaz Qayoom for the dairy sector and Shreya Awasthi for the aqua sector.
The association also launched the CLFMA Souvenir 2026 and Survey Report 2026–2030.
The symposium concluded with a focus on collaboration among government, industry, farmers and research institutions. Feed security, animal health, veterinary capacity, technology adoption, productivity and coordinated industry action emerged as key themes for India’s animal-agriculture sector.