The Uttar Pradesh government has urged the Centre to provide it with the district-wise final data of the 20th livestock census so that the same can be used for planning schemes for livestock in the state.
UP director, animal husbandry, UB Singh on Monday wrote a letter to the Centre’s department of animal husbandry and dairy, in this regard, people familiar with the development said.
“We are waiting for the final livestock data to plan various schemes, including vaccination, and hence (we have) written to the Centre to let us know the final district-wise number of cattle, buffaloes and other livestock,” they said.
The Centre, according to sources, is validating the 20th livestock data and may take some time to come out with the final picture. For the first time, tablets were used by the staff for feeding the number of livestock during the census that began and was completed in 2019.
The Centre’s department of animal husbandry and dairy released the provisional results of the 20th livestock census around a month ago by taking the states into confidence. Many states, including UP, raised questions about authenticity of the data.
“They released provisional data in a hurry without sending the same to us for verification before the release and also did not release the district-wise data,” sources said, adding, “At least, now they should release the district-wise final results for us to know the decrease or increase of the livestock population and plan schemes accordingly.”
{{/usCountry}}“They released provisional data in a hurry without sending the same to us for verification before the release and also did not release the district-wise data,” sources said, adding, “At least, now they should release the district-wise final results for us to know the decrease or increase of the livestock population and plan schemes accordingly.”
{{/usCountry}}As per the tentative results announced in mid-October, a further decline was found in the cattle population in UP.
The provisional data has registered an overall decline in the livestock population by 1.35% with the number of total livestock coming down from 68.7 million in 2012 to 67.8 million in 2019. Barring buffaloes, the population of which has been found to have gone up by 7.81%, there is a decline in almost all other categories.
Although the fall in the cattle population was reported to be much lower than what it was in 2012, the decline would even be less when the final results are available, the UP government believes, according to sources.