India's Trade Practices in Livestock Sector

India is known for its livestock wealth and ranks high among the nations having bovine population. However, despite having huge livestock population, India stands insignificant in the world trade of livestock products. The recent concerted efforts made by the government in the era of liberalization after opening of the national economy to the international market have certainly boosted India’s export trade of livestock products to newer heights. The findings of this study show considerable increase in the export trade of India in meat and meat products and also in respect of milk and milk products, both in quantity and value terms. The export trade of India in milk and milk products got a real boost only after the early nineties period, i.e., in the era of liberalization. The estimates in this study also show an increasing trend in export trade of India in processed livestock products. The increase in livestock exports of India witnessed after the early nineties period is chiefly because of liberalization of trade and several trade policy changes coupled with surge in international prices of many livestock based products. The upswing in livestock exports of India in due course of time has also filtered into significant increase in her share not only in Asia but also in world export trade. But, the results of this study still indicate a marginal presence of India in world trade of majority of the livestock products. It is only in the case of bovine meat and also sheep and goat meat that India has shown a considerable share in the global trade of the same. The findings of this study also indicate that there will neither be any exportable surplus for milk nor meat and eggs in the near future. However, India still has enormous untapped potential in its livestock sector which if tapped in the desired manner and direction can lead us to emerge as the leading producer of milk and meat in the world in the years to come, but not in exports.