TOWARDS WHITE REVOLUTION 2.0

India has set itself an ambitious target of raising its milk output by around 100 million metric tonnes by 2033–2034 by creating an additional 2 lakh primary dairy cooperatives. But getting there will require concerted action on several fronts

- Ashish Sinha

IN MARCH, UNION COOPERATION MINISTER Amit Shah, while addressing the dairy industry at the Indian Dairy Summit, talked about raising India’s milk production, currently pegged at around 230 million metric tons (MMT), by at least 100 MMT, and taking the country’s share in global milk output to one-third. The Ministry of Cooperation under Shah plans to achieve this target by creating an additional 2 lakh primary dairy cooperative societies (PDCS).

“The Indian dairy sector has grown by 6.6 per cent per year in the past decade. The central government is setting up 2 lakh dairy cooperatives in villages. Once that happens, the dairy sector growth will go up to 13.80 per cent. And India’s share of global milk production will be 33 per cent. Our dairy exports will be at least five times the current level,” said Shah.

Currently, there are 1,99,182 PDCSs with around 1.5 crore members. These PDCSs are engaged in procurement of milk from the farmers, providing milk testing facilities, cattle feed sale, extension services, etc. The bigger challenge to double the number of PDCSs in the next 10 years. Experts tracking the sector list out a number of challenges that need to be tackled if India has to increase its milk production rapidly. “The Indian dairy industry remains highly fragmented and largely regional. The organised sector currently accounts for only 26-30 per cent of the marketable milk volumes. GCMMF (better known as Amul) being the only player to have a pan-India presence,” says a senior analyst who tracks the dairy sector.