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Indian government Tuesday said it was continuously working towards increasing milk productivity through genetic improvement and reduction of input cost.
"Special program has also been launched recently for improvement of milk quality by providing required testing facilities at the village and dairy plant level for safe human consumption," reads a statement issued federal ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying.
The ministry said it would facilitate doubling of milk processing capacity from 53.5 million metric tonnes (MT) to 108 million MT by 2025.
According to officials, milk production in India is growing by 6.4 percent during the last five years and has increased from 146.3 million MT in 2014-15 to 187.7 million MT in 2018-19.
"About 54 percent of milk produced is marketable, surplus and the remaining 46 percent is retained in villages for local consumption," the statement said. "Out of the marketable surplus available with farmers, only 36 percent is handled by organized sectors evenly shared by the cooperative and private sector. There is a need to bring the remaining 64 percent surplus milk under the organized fold through various interventions."
During the last two years, milk procurement is also growing by about 9 percent in the cooperative sector.
"With a thrust on better productivity, reduced input cost and better quality milk and milk product, the competitiveness and profitability in the dairy sector will get enhanced leading to increased demand of dairy products in the domestic and international market," the statement said. "This would also bring private investments in the sector to boost growth in rural income and also employment."
