- Not just by increasing the number of animals
- Emphasis on making animals healthier will lead to a developed India
- Statement by Burgis Godrej, Chairperson, Godrej Agrovet Limited
Burjis Godrej Column : As India moves towards becoming a developed country by 2047, it is important to focus on important factors like animal health rather than just focusing on infrastructure. Burgis Godrej, Chairperson of Godrej Agrovet Limited, has expressed a clear opinion about this. Let's know in detail what exactly he said. Fast forward to the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, where we measure our progress in terms of highways, airports and skyscrapers. But, in my opinion, we are overlooking a quieter and equally important indicator, which is the health of our animals. (Burjis Godrej Column)
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Infrastructure and income levels reflect part of the development journey. I believe that animal health should also be an integral part of this, as it is directly linked to human health, nutrition and prosperity. As the economy matures, so does the diet of individuals, and if citizens of India want to have a balanced diet like those of a developed country, we need to pay serious attention to the health of food animals.
Concerns about getting protein
What exactly does this mean? In my opinion, this whole topic can be summed up in one word: protein. As incomes rise, so does the demand for protein-rich foods, and I can already see this shift happening in India, where our diets are slowly changing. The protein products market in India is estimated to grow from Rs 38,247 crore in 2024 to Rs 1.36 lakh crore by 2033. While this is certainly encouraging, the growth is primarily urban and lifestyle driven and limited to premium dairy products and packaged foods.
India is still a protein deficient country
Looking beyond these figures, India is still a protein deficient country. On average, we consume approximately 70 grams of protein per day, compared to 124 to 125 grams in the US, Canada, and China, and 82 grams across the European Union. Even in sub-Saharan Africa, the figure is 58 grams. More than half of the protein in our diet still comes from grains, far exceeding the Nutrition Guidelines; While pulses, a natural source of vegetarian protein, are still low in diet.
It is more important to make animals healthier than to increase the number of animals
Here I want to point out where the discussion on this topic often goes in the wrong direction. India has the largest number of livestock in the world, and India is the fifth largest poultry producer globally. So the answer to making up for the lack of protein in our diet can never be to increase the number of animals, but to make the animals that do exist healthier.
Heredity determines the upper limit of ability
Healthy livestock yields more and better quality milk, meat and eggs. In my opinion, poor animal health is the biggest hindrance to productivity in this sector. Genetics determines the upper limit of ability, nutrition determines how close we can get to that limit, and health determines what we actually get our hands on. At present we are suffering a huge loss of approximately Rs 15,000 to 20,000 crores every year due to illness. The solution to overcome this is not complicated: vaccination, timely diagnosis, bio-security and, above all, healthy nutrition that strengthens the immune system by strengthening the animal's digestive system, rather than treating after illness.
Formalization matters
Achieving this goal requires discipline, and in my opinion, this discipline comes from transforming unorganized and fragmented businesses into trusted brands. Today, only 25 percent of India's milk is distributed through formal channels. We have seen the transformation that formalization can bring in other sectors – coconut oil, edible oil and even makhana have been transformed from common agricultural commodities into brands that individuals trust. The same policy can lead to changes in the dairy, meat and poultry sectors, which will collectively benefit both farmers and consumers.
It also has great sustainability benefits. Livestock accounts for nearly one-fifth of global emissions. So instead of increasing the number of animals, methane emissions can be reduced by up to 45 percent through smarter nutrition using feed-supplements such as bovaire and monensin.
Another new area: pets
I would also like to draw attention to India's rapidly growing pet economy. The number of pets has nearly doubled between 2018 and 2023, and the demand for pet food is expected to grow at a similar rate by 2033. Yet we are becoming more dependent on imports every year. If self-sufficiency is central to the concept of a developed India, building domestic manufacturing capacity in this sector too is imperative.
After all, the real progress of a country is measured by the health and wellness of its citizens and I strongly believe that animal health should be given priority in this. It is important to focus not only on increasing the number of animals, but also on making the animals healthier.
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