Patna: Union animal husbandry and dairying minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh on Thursday highlighted the vast potential for development in the dairy sector but stressed that stakeholders must work with dedication to drive progress.
“There are certain areas that should be focused on for the growth of the dairy industry, which has the potential to contribute significantly to the country’s economy,” he said.
Singh identified foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) as the biggest obstacle preventing Indian milk exports, despite India being the world’s largest milk producer. “We have decided to make the country FMD-free in the next five years. The entire cost of vaccinations, including vaccines and vaccinators, will be borne by the govt. Farmers only need to ensure their cattle receive vaccinations in 10 cycles with two doses administered twice a year,” he said.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day 51st Dairy Industry Conference, organised by the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), Singh said nine states with minimal FMD outbreaks had been shortlisted. “We have decided to focus on these nine states to boost milk exports so that we can contribute more to India’s economy,” he said.
Singh also stressed the need to bring the unorganised milk sector under regulation to combat adulteration. “Only 24% of milk is produced in the organised sector while 37% is consumed directly in homes. The remaining 39% comes from the unorganised sector, which must be brought under the organised framework for the better growth of the sector and the economy,” he said.
The minister urged IDA members to collect and share dairy-related data from both cooperative and private sectors with the govt to help formulate better policies. He added that Bihar’s milk production had risen to 12.8 million tonnes, contributing over 5% to national production.
Highlighting the industry’s progress, Singh said, “Around 8.5 crore people, including 30% women, are engaged in this sector, which has immense potential to contribute significantly to the national economy and improve the standard of living of those involved.”
He explained that dairy farming, once part of the agricultural sector, was given a separate ministry to focus on its holistic growth. “The results are now visible. In the last decade, milk production grew by 63%, reaching 239 million tonnes in the last fiscal year,” he added.
Minister of state for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, S P Singh Baghel, said animal husbandry had been practised in India since ancient times and had significantly increased farmers’ incomes. “The first Green and White Revolutions boosted farmers’ earnings. Now, we are working on rolling out White Revolution 2 in the country,” he said.
Singh added that doubling farmers’ incomes would not be possible without the growth of the animal husbandry and dairy sectors.
The event saw participation from around 2,000 delegates, including 11 from Nepal and two from China.
“There are certain areas that should be focused on for the growth of the dairy industry, which has the potential to contribute significantly to the country’s economy,” he said.
Singh identified foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) as the biggest obstacle preventing Indian milk exports, despite India being the world’s largest milk producer. “We have decided to make the country FMD-free in the next five years. The entire cost of vaccinations, including vaccines and vaccinators, will be borne by the govt. Farmers only need to ensure their cattle receive vaccinations in 10 cycles with two doses administered twice a year,” he said.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the three-day 51st Dairy Industry Conference, organised by the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), Singh said nine states with minimal FMD outbreaks had been shortlisted. “We have decided to focus on these nine states to boost milk exports so that we can contribute more to India’s economy,” he said.
Singh also stressed the need to bring the unorganised milk sector under regulation to combat adulteration. “Only 24% of milk is produced in the organised sector while 37% is consumed directly in homes. The remaining 39% comes from the unorganised sector, which must be brought under the organised framework for the better growth of the sector and the economy,” he said.
The minister urged IDA members to collect and share dairy-related data from both cooperative and private sectors with the govt to help formulate better policies. He added that Bihar’s milk production had risen to 12.8 million tonnes, contributing over 5% to national production.
Highlighting the industry’s progress, Singh said, “Around 8.5 crore people, including 30% women, are engaged in this sector, which has immense potential to contribute significantly to the national economy and improve the standard of living of those involved.”
He explained that dairy farming, once part of the agricultural sector, was given a separate ministry to focus on its holistic growth. “The results are now visible. In the last decade, milk production grew by 63%, reaching 239 million tonnes in the last fiscal year,” he added.
Minister of state for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, S P Singh Baghel, said animal husbandry had been practised in India since ancient times and had significantly increased farmers’ incomes. “The first Green and White Revolutions boosted farmers’ earnings. Now, we are working on rolling out White Revolution 2 in the country,” he said.
Singh added that doubling farmers’ incomes would not be possible without the growth of the animal husbandry and dairy sectors.
The event saw participation from around 2,000 delegates, including 11 from Nepal and two from China.
