Milk production increased to 465.5-million tonnes: Radha Mohan

01 June, New Delhi

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh Thursday said in the year 2014-17, milk production increased by 16.9 per cent to 465.5-million tonnes as compared to 398-million tonnes during 2011-14.”Similarly, in the year 2014-17, income of farmers increased by 13.79 per cent to Rs 33 per litre as compared to Rs 29 per litre during 2011-14,” Singh said on the occasion of World Milk Day Celebration organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries at NASC Complex here.

Singh said India is a World leader in milk production for the past 15 years and this achievement is primarily due to the contribution of smallholder dairy farmers, milk producers, milk processing and marketing organisations and various other stakeholders involved.He said although considerable progress has been made in Milk Production, still ”we have miles to cover in order to provide milk-based nutrition support to all the children in the country.”

Singh said in order to increase the productivity of Indigenous Cattle, the allocation for preservation and development of Indigenous Breeds has been increased manifold.For the first time in the country, an initiative called Rashtriya Gokul Mission has been taken with an objective to preserve and develop indigenous bovine.

Major objectives of the mission are establishment of Gokul Gram, Field Performance recording, awarding farmers and institutes involved in the scientific rearing of Indigenous animals, strengthening Bull Mother farms, and inducting high genetic merit Bulls of Indigenous Breed into Semen Stations.

Further, two National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres are being established as centres of excellence for preservation and development of Indigenous Breeds in a scientific way. Besides being a storehouse of Indigenous Germplasm, National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres would also be a source of proven genetics.