National Consultation Workshop on Organic Livestock Production and Certification Organized

25 July 2025, Hyderabad

A National Consultation Workshop on Organic Livestock Production and Certification in India Issues, Opportunities, and the Way Forward was organized today at the ICAR-National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad in collaboration with ICAR-Central Research Institute on Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad.

The Chief Guest, Prof. (Dr.) M. Gnana Prakash, Vice-Chancellor, P.V.Narasimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University, Hyderabad, briefed about the institutional role in fostering research and capacity building in organic livestock systems.

In his welcome Address, Dr. S.B. Barbuddhe, Director, ICAR-NMRI and Convenor of the workshop highlighted the growing relevance of organic livestock farming in ensuring sustainability, consumer safety, and export potential.

Dr. V.K. Singh, Director, ICAR-CRIDA and Co-Convenor of the event, addressed the gathering with his insights on integrating climate resilience into organic animal husbandry systems.

Dr. G.V. Ramanjaneyulu, Executive Director, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, stressed the importance of farmer-centric policies and participatory certification systems.

Padmashri awardee Shri Venkateswara Rao Yadlapalli shared his practical experiences and emphasized the need for empowering rural communities through organic practices.

The workshop featured two focused Technical Sessions on "Streamlining Certification Processes for Organic Livestock Production", which included presentations on national certification mechanisms, participatory guarantee systems, and international standards and "Production and Health Management of Livestock under Organic Systems", highlighting sustainable feeding practices, preventive healthcare, and animal welfare.

This was followed by a Panel Discussion on "Policy Frameworks for Organic Livestock Development in India". Eminent experts and stakeholders provided critical inputs on regulatory gaps, market linkage, and farmer support systems.

The workshop served as a significant step towards formulating a strategic roadmap for scaling organic livestock production in India, and highlighted the collaborative spirit among ICAR institutions, state departments, NGOs, and progressive farmers.

The workshop brought together experts, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders from across the country to deliberate on strategies to promote organic livestock production in India. In total 120 participants from different parts of the country participated in the event.

(Source: ICAR-National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad)