The second day of the Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association (CLFMA) of India’s 67th National Symposium brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, scientists, farmers and representatives of national industry associations for discussions on feed security, productivity, technology, veterinary capacity, trade and global food security.
Held at The Leela Mumbai under the theme ‘Animal Agriculture – The Backbone of Sustainable Development’, Day 2 moved from policy and industry perspectives to technology-led opportunities and wider questions surrounding the future of India’s animal agriculture ecosystem.
Industry perspective on sustainable animal agriculture
The day opened with a welcome address by Divya Kumar Gulati, Chairman, CLFMA of India, followed by an introduction to the symposium.
Sunil Kataria, CEO & Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet Ltd, delivered the theme-based presentation, setting the context for the day’s discussions on the changing animal-agriculture landscape and the need for stronger, more efficient and sustainable value chains.
Government and sector partnership takes centre stage
The 11:00-hour Interactive Policy Roundtable on ‘Government and sector partnership for animal agriculture’ brought together government and industry representatives. The session was moderated by Manisha Gupta, Editor – Commodities & Currencies, CNBC.
The participants were Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary (CDD), Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India; Dr Muthukumarasamy B, Joint Secretary (NLM/SD), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India; BS Yadav, former Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet Ltd; Shri Suresh Rayudu Chitturi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Srinivasa Farms; and Shri Daljeet Singh, President, Progressive Dairy Farmers Association (PDFA).
The discussion highlighted the importance of stronger coordination between government and industry as India seeks to improve productivity, farmer capabilities, market linkages and the resilience of the animal-agriculture value chain.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) enters the animal-agriculture agenda
A dedicated presentation on ‘AI in animal agriculture’ by Mr Bhaskar brought technology into the centre of the symposium’s discussions.
The session examined the potential of AI to support productivity, decision-making and operational efficiency across the animal-agriculture ecosystem. The focus on AI reflected the sector’s growing interest in technology and data-driven approaches to improving farm and value-chain performance.
Feed security remains a critical issue
The CLFMA discussions also placed strong emphasis on feed security. The association highlighted the need to strengthen domestic availability of key feed ingredients, particularly maize and soybean, which face competing demand from other industries.
The poultry feed requirement was highlighted at around 30 million tonnes, with demand increasing by approximately 3–3.5 million tons annually. With maize accounting for around 55% of poultry feed, improving productivity and reliable availability of the crop will be important for sustaining poultry-sector growth.
The discussions also stressed the need to strengthen farmers’ capabilities, improve value-chain efficiency and build greater resilience at the farm level.
Kevin Roepke highlights the international dimension
At 14:00 hrs, Kevin Roepke, Executive Director MENASA, US Soybean Export Council, addressed the symposium before the national associations panel.
His participation brought an international perspective to the symposium’s discussions around feed raw materials, trade and the wider animal-agriculture value chain.
‘One Nation, One Voice’ calls for stronger industry alignment
The ‘One Nation, One Voice’ panel brought together leaders from national associations representing different parts of India’s animal-agriculture ecosystem. The session was moderated by Mrityunjay Jha, Commodity Editor and Anchor, Zee Business.
The panel comprised Divya Kumar Gulati, Chairman, CLFMA of India; Ranpal Dhanda, President, Poultry Federation of India (PFI); Uday Singh Bayas, President, Indian Poultry Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA); Madan Mohan Maity, General Secretary, West Bengal Poultry Federation Association (WBPFA); Saji Chako, President, Society of Aquaculture Professionals (SAP); and R Ramkutty, Broiler Co-ordination Committee (BCC).
The session highlighted the importance of greater alignment among industry associations and a coordinated approach to policy advocacy. For poultry and allied sectors, such coordination is increasingly important on issues including feed availability, exports, farmer development, infrastructure, technology and policy support.
Pet food adds another dimension to the animal-agriculture ecosystem
The symposium also examined the growing pet-food segment, with a presentation by Dr Saurabh Shekhar, Managing Partner – Pet Care, Pet Care Business.
The session broadened the discussion beyond traditional livestock production and reflected the expanding range of businesses and value chains connected with India’s animal-related economy.
Animal agriculture and global food security
The final major session of the symposium focused on ‘Animal Agriculture and Global Food Security’. The session was moderated by SV Bhave, Managing Director, Berg + Schmidt (India) Pvt Ltd.
The panel brought together Dr SK Dutta, Joint Commissioner (NLM), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India; Dr PS Mahesh, Joint Commissioner and Director, CEAH-Bengaluru; Dr Gagan Garg, Joint Commissioner (RGM), Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India; Prof Pankaj Kumar Shukla, President, Indian Poultry Science Association; Naveen Pasuparthy, President, Karnataka Poultry Farmers & Breeders Association (KPFBA); Dr Ajay Deshpande, President, Vets In Poultry (VIP); and Valsan Parameswaran, Secretary, All India Poultry Products Exporters Association (AIPPEA) – Egg.
The session brought together policy, scientific, farming and industry perspectives on the role of animal agriculture in food and nutritional security. The discussion reinforced the need for stronger productivity, animal health, feed, farmer capacity and collaboration across the value chain.
Veterinary capacity and productivity emerge as sector priorities
The CLFMA press release identified the need to expand veterinary capacity alongside livestock-sector growth, including greater participation from the private sector in veterinary education to address shortages of trained professionals.
The symposium also highlighted the need to accelerate the shift towards enterprise-led livestock farming, with productivity, farmer capabilities and stronger market linkages becoming increasingly important as demand evolves.
Dr Muthukumarasamy B emphasised the need to address genetics, animal health, quality feed, research and farmer capacity together, while Naresh Pal Gangwar stressed stronger connections between farmers, feed manufacturers, processors, markets and policymakers.
CLFMA recognises contributions to the sector
The two-day programme recognized outstanding contributions to animal agriculture. 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, supporting knowledge-sharing across the animal-agriculture ecosystem.
A call for coordinated action
The second day concluded with a valedictory session, reinforcing the importance of collaboration between government, industry, research institutions and farmers.
Across the sessions, the message was consistent: India’s animal-agriculture sector has significant growth potential, but future progress will depend on stronger feed security, improved veterinary capacity, higher productivity, technology adoption and coordinated industry advocacy.
The symposium concluded with a vote of thanks by R Ramkutty, Treasurer, CLFMA of India, reaffirming CLFMA’s commitment to supporting practical measures that strengthen feed security, animal health, productivity and innovation across the sector.