India's CLFMA 67th National Symposium Puts Feed Security and AI at Centre of Animal Agriculture Debate

MUMBAI — The second day of the Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers Association (CLFMA) of India's 67th National Symposium convened policymakers, industry leaders, scientists, farmers and national industry association representatives in Mumbai on 25 September 2026 to discuss the future of India's animal-agriculture sector.

Held at The Leela Mumbai under the theme 'Animal Agriculture – The Backbone of Sustainable Development', the day's agenda covered feed security, productivity, technology, veterinary capacity, trade, farmer development and the role of animal agriculture in global food security.

Opening and Policy Roundtable

CLFMA of India Chairman Divya Kumar Gulati delivered the welcome address. Sunil Kataria, CEO and Managing Director of Godrej Agrovet Ltd, then gave the theme-based presentation, framing discussions around changing animal-agriculture value chains and the need for greater efficiency and sustainability.

A key session was a policy roundtable on government and sector partnership for animal agriculture, moderated by Manisha Gupta, Editor – Commodities & Currencies at CNBC. Participants included Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying; Dr Muthukumarasamy B, Joint Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying; BS Yadav, former Managing Director of Godrej Agrovet; Suresh Rayudu Chitturi, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Srinivasa Farms; and Daljeet Singh, President of the Progressive Dairy Farmers Association. According to the event report, the discussion focused on improving productivity, farmer capabilities, market linkages and resilience across India's animal-agriculture value chain.

Feed Security: Maize and Soybean in Focus

Feed availability emerged as one of the central issues at the symposium. CLFMA highlighted the importance of strengthening domestic supplies of key feed ingredients, particularly maize and soybean, which the association noted face competing demand from other industries.

The poultry sector's feed requirement was highlighted at approximately 30 million tonnes, with annual demand reported to be increasing by around 3–3.5 million tonnes. Since maize accounts for approximately 55% of poultry feed, according to the source, improving crop productivity and ensuring reliable availability were described as important for meeting the sector's growing requirements.

Artificial Intelligence in Animal Agriculture

Technology was a dedicated focus of the second day's programme, with a presentation on artificial intelligence in animal agriculture delivered by Bhaskar. The session explored how AI and data-driven technologies could support productivity, decision-making and operational efficiency across farms and animal-agriculture value chains, according to the event report.

International Perspectives and Industry Alignment

Kevin Roepke, Executive Director MENASA at the US Soybean Export Council, addressed the symposium, bringing an international perspective to discussions on feed raw materials, trade and the animal-agriculture value chain.

A 'One Nation, One Voice' panel subsequently focused on greater alignment among industry associations, with representatives from poultry, aquaculture and related sectors discussing coordinated policy advocacy on feed availability, exports, infrastructure, technology and farmer development. Pet food developments were also addressed, with Dr Saurabh Shekhar discussing the expanding role of the segment within the wider animal-related economy.

Veterinary Capacity and Enterprise Farming

A session on animal agriculture and global food security highlighted the importance of animal health, quality feed, genetics, research, farmer capacity and productivity. CLFMA identified veterinary capacity as an important priority, including the potential for greater private-sector participation in veterinary education to address shortages of trained professionals. The symposium also highlighted a shift towards enterprise-led livestock farming, with productivity, market linkages and farmer capabilities described as increasingly important.

Awards and Publications

The two-day programme recognised contributions to India's animal-agriculture sector. Jagbir Singh Dhull received the CLFMA Lifetime Achievement Award. CLFMA Gold Medals were awarded to Dr Abhishek Venkat for the poultry sector, Dr Mehnaaz Qayoom for the dairy sector and Shreya Awasthi for the aqua sector. The association also launched the CLFMA Souvenir 2026 and Survey Report 2026–2030.