Dairy Farming In India

 Importance of dairy farming Milk is a wholesome food among all the animal products. It contains in proper proportions the various essential food ingredients required by human body in an easily digestible form. Inclusion of milk in the human diet increases the digestibility of other types of food as well. The productivity of milk varies in different countries, as some countries are surplus in production, some are deficit in production, and in some of the countries, availability matches their requirement. The annual milk production in India in 2015–16 was 155.5 million tonnes and the per capita availability of milk was 337 grams per day. In India, milk is produced by a vast number of small, medium and large-sized farms. There is exponential growth in the number of the commercial dairy farms in the urban and semi-urban areas of the metros and big cities.

It is clear from Fig.1.1 that 49 per cent of milk production comes from buffaloes, followed by 27 per cent, 21 per cent and 3 per cent from crossbred and exotic cows, indigenous cows and goats, respectively. Small quantity of milk is also procured from camel, sheep and yak. Uttar Pradesh is the largest milk producer in India, followed by Rajasthan. The per capita availability of milk is highest in Punjab, followed by Haryana (Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics, Government of India, 2017). It is interesting to note that in 2016–17, the percapita availability of milk was highest in Punjab at 1075 grams, followed by Haryana at 930 grams, whereas Delhi recorded a dismal 35 grams. The demand for milk is constantly increasing in cities as well as small towns and rural areas. The factors influencing this increased demand are — rapid increase in population, spread of education, growing nutritional awareness and improved purchasing power of consumers. Dairy farming in India has evolved from just an agrarian way of life to a professionally managed industry. A large number of rural families in India are engaged in dairy production, for whom this is an important source of secondary income. In India, raw milk is perceived to be fresh by most consumers and has a large market. Conventional dietary habits in India account for about 60 per cent of milk consumption in liquid form, and the remaining in the form of ghee, cheese, curd, paneer, ice cream, dairy whiteners and traditional sweets. Dairying provides a source of daily income with a relatively low level of risk. Most of the dairy farmers in India raise animals at a small scale in traditional ways. The productivity of these farmers can be enhanced if they run their business in a scientific manner. Most of such farmers are not aware of the modern methods of dairy farming. As a result, some farmers lose their investment instead of making profit. To ensure maximum production and profits from dairy farming, it is essential that these farmers adopt proper business plans and good dairy management practices. Nearly 43 per cent of Indian farmers are small cultivators, and about 26 per cent are agricultural labourers who have one or two milch animals (Planning Commission, GOI, 2009). This indicates that dairy sector provides basic sustenance for small farmers, landless people and agricultural labourers, especially for people in draught affected areas in Rajasthan and Gujarat.Employment potential in dairying India’s share in the world milk trade is quite low, and compared to the total milk produced, only small quantity processed. In the informal sector, milk vendors collect milk from local producers and sell it in urban and semi-urban areas. These milk vendors handle around 65–70 per cent of the total milk production. The increase in human population has a direct effect on the demand for food. However, globally there is shrinkage of cultivable lands, which makes the role of livestock sector even more important, not only in terms of nutritional security but also employment generation. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is the regulator for import and export of dairy products in India. Indian milk desserts are quite popular with many communities, including the Indians settled abroad. A good example of this is the rasgulla, which has earned a place of honour as a sweet meat worldwide. It is clear that the demand for such products is expected to increase in future, thereby boosting the potential for export. Considering the production economics of dairy products globally, countries which have low cost of milk production such as India are expected to derive maximum benefit from the booming dairy upsurge. Thus, from the emerging scenario in the dairy sector, nationally as well as internationally, it is evident that a lot of employment generation and potential for entrepreneurial activities exist in the dairy sector