The persistent drive to change the role of livestock from subsidiary to primary enterpriseduring the last four decade,  has finally  paid  off  Major  changes and transformations were observed in the poultry, dairy and feed enterprises and they have crossed thethreshold of commercialization of livestock enterprises, especially,  in the areas close  to the major town markets accessible by all weather roads. However, the rural livestock production sector is far from commercialization due to the major constraints of physical inaccessibility and poor access to technology, services, input supply and ready markets. The major challenges - ahead are: meet livestock product demand to fulfill the basic needsrequirement of the growing population and the increased tourist trade; meet fodder andcompound feed demand to support growing livestock industry, improve quality controland marketing services to meet the requirement of the trade and the growing livestockindustry and face intense competition in the market by the imports from across the borderand overseas. The major constraints,  shortcomings,  prospects  and far-vision  in  thedistant horizon, concept and approaches to deal with the situation and according to thepotential and prospect in different agro-ecological belts have been discussed The basicconcepts and approaches adopted in the ninth livestock plan based on  the LivestockMaster Plan and the Agriculture Perspective Plan have been highlighted as well.

The persistent drive to change the role of livestock from subsidiary to primary enterpriseduring the last four decade,  has finally  paid  off  Major  changes and transformations were observed in the poultry, dairy and feed enterprises and they have crossed thethreshold of commercialization of livestock enterprises, especially,  in the areas close  to the major town markets accessible by all weather roads. However, the rural livestock production sector is far from commercialization due to the major constraints of physical inaccessibility and poor access to technology, services, input supply and ready markets. The major challenges - ahead are: meet livestock product demand to fulfill the basic needsrequirement of the growing population and the increased tourist trade; meet fodder andcompound feed demand to support growing livestock industry, improve quality controland marketing services to meet the requirement of the trade and the growing livestockindustry and face intense competition in the market by the imports from across the borderand overseas. The major constraints,  shortcomings,  prospects  and far-vision  in  thedistant horizon, concept and approaches to deal with the situation and according to thepotential and prospect in different agro-ecological belts have been discussed The basicconcepts and approaches adopted in the ninth livestock plan based on  the LivestockMaster Plan and the Agriculture Perspective Plan have been highlighted as well.