On Thursday, the Gujarat Legislative Assembly passed a bill that requires licenses for the manufacture, storage, and sale of livestock feed, poultry feed, and mineral mixtures in the state. This legislation aims to ensure the quality of animal feed by imposing penalties for the production and distribution of substandard and adulterated products.
New Gujarat Bill Targets Substandard Animal Feed
The Gujarat government has introduced the Gujarat Livestock Feed, Poultry Feed and Mineral Mixture (Regulation of Production, Storage, Distribution, Sale and Quality Control) Bill, 2026. This legislation imposes fines of up to ₹5 lakh and can lead to the suspension of manufacturing licenses for up to one year for producing substandard feed. Additionally, misleading branding can incur similar fines and a license suspension of up to three years.
Jitu Vaghani, Gujarat’s agriculture and animal husbandry minister, emphasized that manufacturers must adhere to standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The bill mandates regular testing and analysis of feed samples and establishes requirements for packaging and labeling to eliminate misleading claims.
Farmers preparing feed for their own livestock and feed produced for research purposes have been kept outside the scope of the law. The government said the legislation was aimed at protecting the health of Gujarat’s livestock population, which includes more than 106 lakh buffaloes and 96 lakh cows, besides sheep, goats and poultry, and at improving milk productivity.
Vaghani said the legislation was based on the World Health Organization’s “One Health” approach and was intended to protect livestock farmers and manufacturers that complied with quality standards. He said the government would take action against businesses that compromised on feed quality. The minister said the licensing process would be online and faceless to prevent unnecessary harassment of businesses.
