Animal Husbandry

Since time immemorial Human Prosperity is linked with the livestock wealth. It has been rightly said by late U.N.Dhebar that “To think of Rural Development without Livestock Improvement is to think of Modern Industrialization without Power Stations”.Andhra Pradesh has some of the richest livestock resources in the Country and is one of the most advanced States in Animal Husbandry activities.The Livestock play a vital role in Socio-economic and cultural life of our people.

During the year 1892, Civil Veterinary Department was established in the composite Madras State to provide Veterinary Aid to the needy farmers. Subsequently after Independence, C.V.D was renamed as Animal Husbandry Department (1948), with the main objective of treatment and prevention of
diseases in livestock. Initially the emphasis was on health care only, but subsequently several schemes have been taken up for overall growth of livestock sector.

Over the last five decades, the animal health sector has untiringly worked to lay strong foundation of effective animal health network to facilitate animal production to take off. Since the formation of Andhra Pradesh and with the advent of five year plans, rapid strides were made in the animal health care by opening number of veterinary institutions in remote areas in the State.In the beginning of the Ist Five Year Plan there were barely 8-10 Veterinary Institutions in each district and about 200 Institutions in the entire State providing Veterinary Aid covering about 60-70 thousand cattle units under each institution. The health care facilities have increased during the subsequent plan periods resulting in a phenomenal growth of Veterinary Institutions from 285 during 1956-57 to 5013 during 2005-06. The cattle units covered now by each graduate institution is about 10,000 and by including Rural Livestock Units the coverage goes down to 4730 each.

At present Veterinary Health cover is provided by 5013 field Veterinary Institutions comprising of 22 Veterinary Poly Clinics at District level manned by Deputy Directors as referral District hospitals providing specialized services in Gynecology, Surgery and Medicine with X-ray and inpatient facilities, 281Taluk level Veterinary Hospitals manned by Assistant Directors, 1794 Veterinary Dispensaries manned by Veterinary Assistant Surgeons and 2916 Rural Livestock Units at Village level manned by Para Vets are functioning.

There are 22 Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories are functioning, one each at district headquarters with facilities for disease investigation, quick diagnosis and for mapping out diseases to render timely and effective control measures. These are the district referral laboratories for effective diagnosis and vaccine distribution work.