The decision of the Maharashtra government to grant agriculture status to the livestock sector will help create large-scale rural entrepreneurship as it will enable easier access to loans and subsidies, state Animal Husbandry Minister Pankaja Munde said on Friday.
She was speaking at the inauguration of the three-day Maha Livestock Expo 2026 in Parli Vaijnath here. “The move would allow livestock farmers to avail credit at agricultural rates and receive a 50 per cent subsidy for animal husbandry activities. People must take initiative in developing the sector as a sustainable source of rural employment,” Munde said.
Efforts are underway to transform animal husbandry into a full-fledged industry, the minister added. “Proposals for animal husbandry colleges at Baramati and Parli Vaijnath had been approved earlier with the initiative of Ajit Pawar, who would have appreciated the scale of the exhibition,” Munde said while paying tribute to the leader, who died in a plane crash on January 28, and in whose memory a separate pavilion has been set up at the venue.
Livestock from various parts of the country, including different breeds of cows, bulls, horses and goats, as well as several species of birds, have been showcased in specially designed pavilions at the venue, with the highlight being what the organisers claimed was the country`s smallest cow.
The expo showcases new technologies in animal husbandry, productivity-enhancing solutions and veterinary medicines, while experts from the field are conducting guidance sessions and lectures for farmers and entrepreneurs, officials said. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to visit the exhibition on Saturday, they added.
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