West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences, Kolkata

The livestock and fisheries sectors are fast developing in the Country for which the pressure on land is massive in inclined state all over the India. During, 2008-2010, the livestock and fisheries sectors contributed approximately 5% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and about 27% value of the output from agriculture, animal husbandry and allied ventures. Livestock production has been growing faster than any agricultural sub-sector and it is foreseen by 2020, the livestock will account for more than half of total global agricultural output in economic terms. To reach the growth rate of 4% in the agriculture sector as envisaged in the XI plan, the growth in livestock and other allied sectors becomes much essential. To attain this, varieties of technological interventions were introduced in these sectors in the country, which paved the way for significant improvement in productivity and production and also per capita availability of livestock products. The State of West Bengal has the potential to enhance the livestock productivity with accelerated application of innovative technologies. The state is producing 4 million tones of milk per annum besides having 61 million poultry, 18.8 million goats and 1.3 million pigs. Also, West Bengal has emerged as the highest fish producing (1.5 million tones) state in the country including the production of 1.26 metric tones inland fishes. As most of the state farmers are small and marginal in their activities and reasonably, it is the livestock and fish, which could surely help the farming population for improvement of their livelihood. The efforts of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries are well known by their contribution to the general economy of West Bengal in terms of production. Growth in human population, increase in urbanization, rising domestic incomes and changing lifestyles have led to increased demand for products of animal origin. The West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences has already set the goal in this direction and doing its best through its educational programmes and research activities and its subsequent dissemination of package of practices to rural farming community. The West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences (WBUAFS), the second University of its kind in the country started its journey with a legacy of Century old Bengal Veterinary College on 2nd January 1995 with an objective to serve the State as well as the nation as a whole through imparting quality Education, accomplishing basic and need-based Research and disseminating proven technologies to the rural masses through its Extension wing. West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences was established on 2nd January, 1995 vide West Bengal University of Animal & Fishery Sciences Act – 1995 to impart education, training and to conduct research in veterinary and animal sciences, dairy sciences and fishery sciences and also to cater the needs of the farming community of the State of West Bengal. During this period the University has been recognized as one of the leading institutions of the country to uplift the socio-economical status of farmers. The hallmark of the University has been the development of human resources to meet the requirements of the society and to promote the socio-economic development of the region. The University has been engaged in commendable task of improving the research infrastructure to develop cutting edge technologies for improved management of animal and fishery resources, disease problems, nutrients, water resources and environment.