India ranks first, contributes 24 pc of global milk production

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala on Tuesday told Lok Sabha that India is the highest milk producer in the world contributing twenty-four per cent of global milk production in the year 2021-22.

“According to production data of Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT), India is the highest milk producer in the world contributing twenty-four per cent of global milk production in the year 2021-22,” the minister said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

He further said that the milk production of India has registered a fifty-one per cent increase during the last eight years- during the year 2014-15 and 2021-22 and increased to twenty-two crore tonne in the year 2021-22.

The minister also said that the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying runs various schemes to benefit farmer members, including financially weaker farmers in the dairy sector.

Further, the National Programme for Dairy Development aims at enhancing the quality of milk, milk products and increasing the share of organised procurement, processing, value addition and marketing.

NPDD was launched in February 2014 by merging three existing schemes- Intensive Dairy Development Programme, Strengthening Infrastructure for Quality and Clean Milk Production and Assistance to Cooperatives.

In July 2021, NPDD has been restructured with the aim of enhancing the quality of milk and milk products and increasing the share of organised procurement, processing, value addition and marketing; for implementation from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

“National Livestock Mission, Sub-Mission on Feed and Fodder Development is a separate scheme aiming to increase the availability of fodder and feed,” Rupala told the Lower House.

Rupala also said that the department is implementing various schemes to supplement the efforts of states and union territories for the promotion and development of animal husbandry and dairying sector across the country which include, the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD), Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF), Supporting Dairy Cooperatives and Farmer Producer Organizations engaged in dairy activities (SDCFPO), National Livestock Mission (NLM), Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LH and DCP) (wherein erstwhile Livestock Health and Disease Control Scheme and National Animal Disease Control Programme were merged with effect from 2021-22) and Livestock Census and Integrated Sample Survey (LC and ISS).

Due to the implementation of these schemes by the department, milk production in the country has increased from 146.31 Million Tonnes in 2014-15 to 221.1, the minister claimed.

“Million Tonnes in 2021-22 i.e. by 6.38 per cent per annum during the last 8 years. The value of the output of milk is more than Rs. 9.32 lakh crore during 2021-22 which is higher than the agriculture produces and even more than the combined value of paddy and wheat. Egg production in the country has increased from 78.48 billion in 2014-15 to 129.53 billion in 2021-22. Egg production in the country is growing at the rate of 8 per cent per annum,” Rupala added. (ANI)