THE livestock services face serious problems to cater to the needs of farmers related to veterinary health coverage, production, and extension services. The private sector has limited options to grow in the existing environment. Therefore, it is time to provide cost-effective and quality service to farmers through public and private sector partnership.

In many developing countries, public veterinary health and production services have been liberalised due to pressure of major stakeholders such as:

* The livestock farmers and their organizations;

* Veterinary professional organizations;

* A statuary body for regulatory framework;

* The NGOs involvement in livestock services;

* Privately available veterinary services;

* The government veterinary services;

There is a need for a dialogue between different stakeholders to identify policy and strategy for the improvement of such services. The government veterinary services dominate over all other elements, whereas in livestock sector, most professional organisations are also dominated by public sector employees. There is a perception that the government should provide all services required by the livestock industry. These include animal treatment, vaccination, disease surveillance, disease diagnosis, artificial insemination and advisory services.

At present, all these services are provided free of cost or at very marginal charges. With an increase in livestock population and growing commercialisation of dairy farming sector, demand for animal health and production services have increased manifold.

Hence, the provision of veterinary health services by the government at existing subsidised rates can only be justified if the government can satisfy the demand of all animal owners and directs the subsidised inputs to those who cannot afford these.

At present the subsidised veterinary health and breeding services go to wealthy and influential livestock farmers rather than the poorer lot. Small farmers pay higher prices whether these are provided by the public or private service providers. There is a need to stop deterioration in the delivery of services by choosing a path which can cater to the needs of farming community.

The following institutional reforms can help in achieving this target:

Cost Recovery: The livestock departments should charge, if the service provides benefit to farmers based on actual input cost. This recovery then is placed into revolving fund, administered by the department for the purpose from which the amount is earned.

Levies: Levy needs to be imposed on the import of milk powder, frozen meat etc.

There should be defined functions such as the provision of diagnostic services for diseases. The government should provide services to control the transfer of diseases from animals to humans and specified parasitic diseases, which are threat to the livestock industry. Breeding services, which include selection of progeny tested bulls for semen collections should be arranged.

Extension services: Training, extension and advisory services must be made available at Tehsil/Taluka headquarters.

Regulatory services: This is the prime function and involves implementation of all regulations, specified in the legislation for livestock sector. It is also important to suggest appropriate amendments or new legislation to the Assembly.

Public-private partnership: Most livestock departments have not changed their working systems which is more like an authoritative “top to bottom” approach-based system. A strong partnership between stakeholders is required to create an environment in which private service providers can emerge. The creation of Dairy Development Board is a step in the right direction. Such changes should be made at provincial and the district government level.

Liberalisation and institutional reform process is important because the government services for animal health and production are delivered through a vast network of veterinary dispensaries/centres, mobile units, diagnostic labs and the government farms which provide employment to a large number of veterinarians, para-vets and other staff. Therefore, most part of the budgetary resources cover salaries of the staff leaving little amount for vaccines, medicines, and transportation of the staff. Most farmers pay for vaccines, medicines and transport.

The overall objective is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of animal health care, breeding, nutrition and extension services and, consequently livestock productivity and safeguard of public health.