Milk Production in India

Dairying industry of India has undergone considerable transformation mainly due to the application of scientific production techniques and greater importance being given to the development of dairy cooperatives. Infrastructure that has contributed in no small measure towards substantial growth in milk production since seventies. But the trend has charged with 15% of the world cattle population, India occupies number one position in the world milk production.

Milk output in the world's 10 leading dairying countries are shown in the following table.

World Top 10 Milk Producing Countries
Rank	Country	Production (109kg/year)
1	India	114.4
2	United States	79.3
3	Pakistan	35.2 (needs validation)
4	China	32.5
5	Germany	28.5
6	Russia	28.5
7	Brazil	26.2
8	France	24.2
9	New Zealand	17.3
10	United Kingdom	13.9

After stagnating around 20 million tones in the "fifties and sixties, India's annual milk production crossed 30 million - tonne mark in 1980s and the 50 million mark in 1990s. Milk production trends in India is presented in the following table.

Milk Production and per capita availability in India

Year	Production (Million tones)	Per capita availability (gms/day)
1991 - 92	55.7	178
1992 - 93	58.0	182
1993 - 94	60.6	187
1994 - 95	63.8	194
1995 - 96	66.2	197
1996 - 97	69.1	202
1997 - 98	72.1	207
1998 - 99	75.4	213
1999 - 2000	78.3	217
2000 - 01	80.6	220
2001 - 02	84.4	225
2002 - 03	86.2	230
2003 - 04	88.1	231
2004 - 05	92.5	233
2005 - 06	97.1	241
2006 - 07	100.9	246
2007 - 08	104.8	252
2008 - 09	108.5	258
2009 - 10	112.5	263

Source: www.nddb.org

It could be seen from the above table that milk production in India. In the year 1991- 92 was 55.7 million tones and it has increased to 80.6 million tonnes in the year 2000 - 01 and 104.8 million tones in the year 2007 - 08. India has shown an upward trend in the milk production from 1991 - 2010. Like wise the per capita availability of milk also increased from 178 gms/ day in the year 2001 - 01 and in 2007 - 08 it was 252 grams / day. After 2008 the milk production gone high and it reaches 108.5 and in 2010 it goes 112.5 million tonnes. The credit for this phenomenal increase it milk production goes to millions of small dairy farmers, spread over 5,00,000 villages, who have been energized through cooperatives and other institution. Dairy has now emerged as an important income generation activity and a source of mass, employment in rural areas on the basis of white revolution.