The fourth five year plan did not succeed as expected?
Answers
Answer:
he Third Plan and the subsequent Annual Plans attached considerable importance to animal husbandry. A new cattle breeding policy was evolved during this period. According to this policy, cross breeding would be undertaken in areas covered by Intensive Cattle Development (ICD) Projects and in key village blocks that lie in the milk sheds of existing and proposed dairies. Pure breeding would be confined to outstanding indigenous breeds in well-defined breeding tracts with a view to improving the quality of milch cattle. Simultaneous upgrading of indigenous cattle would be undertaken with recognised Indian breeds. Greater efforts would be made for the improvement of the productivity of buffaloes.
8.2. The introduction of ICD Projects during the period 1961—69 represents a significant development. The programmes include improved methods of breeding, provision of feed and fodder and disease control. Earlier, the cattle development programmes taken up in small and scattered areas, could not make much impact on account of insufficient inputs, lack of tie-up with proper marketing and inadequate coverage of cattle population. The ICD Pro--ject was conceived to rectify these shortcomings.
8.3. The Third Plan witnessed a notable breakthrough in poultry farming. The average egg production increased from 60 in 1960-61 to 80 in 1965-66. A large number of commercial poultry farms with 500 to 25,000 layers were set up in private sector in different parts of the country. Large private hatcheries were established as also poultry feed manufacturing units. As a result of these measures, egg production increased from about 2880 million in 19-61 to 5300 million in 1968-69. However the programme of poultry development continued to be adversely affected by shortage and high prices ot poultry feed. Another factor blocking the progress of poultry development was inadequate arrangements for marketing.
8.4. Compared to eggs and poultry progress in other livestock products fell short of expectation. Wool production increased from 32.55 million kgs. in 1961 to 37.60 million kgs. (estimated) in 1969. The productio'Q of milk increased from 20 million tonnes in 1966-67 to 21.2 million tonnes in 1968-69, representing a growth rate of about 3 per cent per annum. This was much below the rate of growth in demand for milk.
Objectives and Targets
8.5. The approach to livestock development in. the Fourth Plan is based on three major considerations. First, it is estimated that only about 12 pe< cent of the agricultural component of the Gross Domestic Product is accounted for by livestock production in India. The second consideration is nutritional. The following table indicates the present estimated availability of milk, meat, fish and eggs as against the level required by accepted nutritional standards
Explanation: