The government said on Thursday that it is preparing for the 21st livestock census, which will take place across the country between September and December of this year.
According to the Union Animal Husbandry and Dairying Ministry, mobile technology will be used to conduct the livestock census and subsequently submit the data online.
The ministry hosted a sensitization meeting on Thursday, chaired by Animal Husbandry and Dairying Secretary Alka Upadhyaya, with senior officers from states and union territories, as well as members of the technical committee.
“The 21st Livestock Census is due in 2024 and will be conducted with the participation of states/union territories during the period of September-December 2024”, the ministry said in a statement following the meeting.
The census will be conducted in all villages and urban wards.
The site will count a variety of animal species (cattle, buffalo, Mithun, yak, sheep, goat, pig, horse, pony, mule, donkey, camel, dog, rabbit, and elephant), as well as poultry birds (fowl, duck, and other poultry birds) owned by homes, household enterprises, and non-household companies.
The 21st livestock census will also collect breed-specific data as well as age and sex information.
Since 1919, India has conducted a livestock census every five years to collect statistics on the animal husbandry sector. The last livestock census was done in 2019.
The livestock census is a major door-to-door field operation in which data is collected from every home, including an actual count of domesticated animals and birds, to determine the nation’s overall livestock wealth.
The census serves as the foundation for policy development and programme execution in the animal husbandry industry.
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