In 2022, India had an outbreak of the lumpy skin disease (LSD) that has so far killed more than 200,000 cows, hurting milk output. Now the Panjab govt. is discussing scientific cooperation with Brazil, known for its expertise in animal health, to curb livestock ailments that can cause farm-income losses and worsen rural distress. The plan involves monitoring occurrence of animal diseases, their prevention and management of outbreaks, with the possibility of jointly developing vaccines and other medicines, said Angelo de Queiroz Mauricio, agricultural attaché at the Brazil embassy in New Delhi. India has the world's largest population of livestock and is the world's biggest milk producer. Total annual milk production in the country was 230.58MT in 2022-23. Yet, according to the 2023 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey, the per capita consumption of milk is only around 330 ml (11 fl oz) per person per day. The discussions also involve exploring Ayurveda medicines. In the European Union (EU), India is gearing up to challenge Pakistan's attempts to broaden the geographical indication (GI) tag for its Basmati rice. The extension of the GI tag for the premium variety of rice, from 14 to 48 districts in Pakistan, could have significant implications on India's export prospects to the EU. The development comes amid New Delhi's efforts to resolve all outstanding issues with the EU for a bilateral free-trade agreement, with the eighth round of negotiations expected in May or early-June. GI registration is key to access the European markets, offering benefits such as tariff relief within the 27-member bloc.
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