Uttar Pradesh, a state that houses as much as 16.17% of India’s population depends on agriculture and allied activities for economic development. The State has set a record in the dairy sector by contributing the highest in India’s milk production.
The production of milk in the State has gradually increased. In the last four years, Uttar Pradesh produced 1,242.37 lakh metric tonnes of milk. Milk production in UP increased from 277.697 lakh metric tonnes in 2016-17, to 318.630 lakh metric tonnes in 2019-20.
India’s Dairy Production
The dairy sector is the largest single agricultural commodity with a 4% share in the economy. India is globally the largest producer of milk, with a production of around 188 million MT production in 2019-20. Indian milk production is expected to grow to 270 MMT by 2025.
In terms of India’s Export of Dairy products, during the year 2020-21, was 54,762.31 MT to the world for Rs. 1,491.66 crores ie, $201.37 Million. The major exporting destinations for 2020-21 were UAE, Bangladesh, and other southeast Asian countries.
Other milk-producing states in India
Uttar Pradesh contributes around 18% to the total milk production, followed by Rajasthan (11%), Andhra Pradesh (10%), Gujarat (8%), and Punjab (7%). In addition to these States, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu are the major production area of dairy products in India.
Reasons of lead
The change in lifestyle patterns, increase in disposable incomes and health awareness is the key for milk and high-value milk products’ growth in India. In addition to these, the government initiatives and programmes have also made entering and sustaining in the sector feasible and profitable.
Milk-related initiatives in UP: The increase in milk production has resulted in boosting employment in the State, creating opportunities in the rural areas. The Uttar Pradesh Government has been taking initiatives for the conservation of milch animals and is setting up greenfield dairies in Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Meerut, Bareilly, Kannauj, Gorakhpur, Firozabad, Ayodhya, and Moradabad.
The State Government also sanctioned Rs 272 crore for setting up cow protection centres in all districts of the state. Further, Risk Management and Livestock Insurance’ as a component of sub livestock development of National Livestock Mission (NLM) is to be implemented in all the districts of Uttar Pradesh (India) for mitigating and managing the risk related to indigenous/ crossbred/ exotic milch animals and other livestock.
The UP government has also been awarding the Gokul award and Nandababa awards to the highest milk producers in the State. The government has also been extending credit card facilities to registered milk farmers.
Increase in investment: Through the convergence of various schemes of the government, such as the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Department of Rural Development, and state governments, private players have shown interest in setting up units and operating in the sector.
In the last four years, six big companies, including Amul, invested Rs 172 crore in dairy projects in the State.
Central Government schemes: Further, the dairy development schemes of the central government like the National Programme for Dairy Development(NPDD), National Dairy Plan (Phase-I), Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme(DEDS), support to Dairy Cooperatives and Dairy Processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) have given a push to the development of the dairy sector.
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