Dehradun, Aug. 3 -- Uttarakhand's hills face a livestock issue confirmed by data, yet policy continues to under-prioritise it. The state's livestock sector now contributes only 2.14% to the Gross State Domestic Product at current prices - a decrease from 2.62% in 2019-20 - even as milk production increased to 18.97 lakh tonnes and egg output reached 594 million in 2023-24. This contradiction should concern every planner in Dehradun: production rises, but its importance diminishes. Livestock still adds Rs 6,748 to the average Uttarakhandi's annual income - 2.46% of the per-capita income - but its share in the state's growth story is shrinking, not expanding, in a hill economy with few terrain-neutral livelihood options remaining.
The househ...