SAARC Expert Consultation Meeting on “Identification of Best Practices in Livestock Feed and Fodder Production and Management” was conducted at ICAR- National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, India during 21st to 23rd May, 2019.The programme was jointly organized by the SAARC Agriculture Centre, Dhaka and ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru. Dr.Ashis Kumar Samanta, Senior Programme Specialist – Livestock, SAC, Dhaka was the programme Coordinator and lead the SAARC delegation to Bengaluru, India.

The inaugural session was attended by more than 150 participants  comprising of scientists, research scholars, students, Joint Director and Heads of neighbouring ICAR institutes, representatives from National Dairy Development Board and feed industry, and academia from poultry industries. Dr. J. K. Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries and Animal Sciences), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi graced the inaugural session as Chief Guest of the expert consultation meeting.Dr. Raghavendra Bhatta, Director of the host institute spoke on overview of the expert consultation meeting vis a vis its objectives. Four country papers namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Sr Lanka were presented in addition to six invited paper in the areas of feeding management in dairy cooperatives, current status of feed industry and challenges,  feed inventory – methodology and challenges,  alternate feed resources and poultry feed industry. A field visit for the participants was arranged to the Feed Processing plant, semen station and Central Poultry Development Organization and training Institute.