Friday, 17 May, 2024
The per-capita availability of milk has increased from 303 gram/day in 2013-14 to 444 gram/day in 2021-22, nearly 1.5 times increase. Image Source: IANS
The government of India has also taken several steps and implemented various schemes for development of the dairy industry in India. Some of the important schemes are Rashtriya Gokul Mission, National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) and Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (DEDS).
In the past nine years, India has seen a phenomenal increase in the production and consumption of milk and dairy products. India currently contributes 24 percent of the world's milk production, making it the largest producer in the world. India's milk output increased by approximately 61 percent between 2013–14 and 2021–22, from 137.7 million tons to 221.1 million tons. More than 80 million people are employed in the dairy sector, with the majority being small and marginal farmers as well as the landless. In addition, the majority of workers in the nation's dairy industry are women. The industry is a significant employer, particularly for women and plays an important role in women empowerment. Also, the per-capita availability of milk has increased from 303 gram/day in 2013-14 to 444 gram/day in 2021-22, nearly 1.5 times increase.
After observing the enormous success of the Green Revolution, which led to a significant rise in the production of wheat and rice, the Indian government launched Operation Flood, also known as the White Revolution. The goal of India's "white revolution" was to increase milk production and turn it into one of the largest milk-producing nations in the world. The White Revolution aimed at removing the intermediaries and it established a national milk grid that connected farmers all across India to consumers in more than 700 towns and cities, decreasing seasonal and regional price differences while ensuring that the farmers receive a significant portion of the profits.
White Revolution is the reason that India has been able to achieve this milestone and become the top producer of milk in the world. Dr. Varghese Kurien is known as the father of milk production in India. He was the chairman of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The NDDB launched a programme called ‘Operation Flood’ to increase the pace of White Revolution. Within 30 years, Operation Flood helped double milk available per person in India, making dairy farming India's largest self-sustainable rural employment generator. The mass success of White revolution in India can be attributed to the AMUL (Anand Milk Union Limited) or the Cooperative model. Since the 1970s, most of the expansion in milk production has been in South Asia, which is the main driver of milk production growth in the developing world.
Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu are the states that produce the majority of India's dairy products.
Source: Press Information Bureau
The data clearly shows that the milk production in India has been increased around 3 times in the last 20 years from 80.6 million tons in 2001 to 209.6 in 2021. India contributes around 24 percent of global milk production. One of the most important things which need to be taken into consideration is the per capita availability of milk in India which has been continuously increasing over the years. In 1951, the per capita availability of milk was only 130/g per day which has increased to 444/g per day in 2021 making India self-sustainable and the largest contributor in global milk production. The chart given below provides insights on the milk production in India from 2015-16 to 2021-22.
Source: Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
Milk production is among the very few sectors which remained unaffected during the covid-19 pandemic. In Global milk production, India is followed by USA, China, Pakistan and Brazil. The countries with the highest milk surpluses are New Zealand, USA, Germany, France, Australia and Ireland while the countries with the highest milk deficits are China, Italy, the Russia, Mexico, Algeria and Indonesia.
The government of India has also taken several steps and implemented various schemes for development of the dairy industry in India. Some of the important schemes are Rashtriya Gokul Mission, National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) and Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme (DEDS). The Rashtriya Gokul Mission, which aims to genetically improve the cattle population and promote and conserve indigenous cattle breeds, has been given a five-year extension for execution in order to raise milk output and productivity, which will increase farmers' revenue from dairying. Farmers now have access to a number of cutting-edge technology, like sex-sorted semen, IVF method, and genomic selection, at their fingertips thanks to the mission. The mission is expected to take the milk production from 221.1 million tons to 300 million tons in 2024-25.
The NPDD scheme aims to enhance quality of milk and milk products and increase share of organized milk procurement. It is being implemented by the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) across the nation since February 2014. The programme underwent revision and reconfiguration in July 2021. The new NPDD scheme will be implemented from 2021–2022 to 2025–2026 with a budget of Rs. 1,790 crores. The objectives of the programme include raising the quality of milk and products made from it as well as expanding the organised market share for purchasing, processing, value addition, and marketing.
The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries is implementing DEDS to promote self-employment opportunities in the dairy industry. The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying, and Fisheries is implementing DEDS to promote independent work in the dairy sector. By providing back-ended capital subsidies for bankable projects, it covers tasks including enhancing milk production, procurement, preservation, transportation, processing, and marketing.
Source: Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
Over the past three years, India's export of dairy products has steadily increased. India exported 108,711 MT of dairy products to the world in 2021–2022 for a total of Rs. 2,928.79 crore (US$ 391.59 million). Bangladesh, the UAE, Bahrain, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar were among the major export destinations.
