New Delhi, November 27 (IANS). India’s milk production is set to increase by 4 percent to 239.3 million tonnes in 2023-24. Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh recently gave this information.
The Union Minister said that the per capita availability of milk has also increased from 459 grams per day in 2022-23 to 471 grams per day in 2023-24. He said the average growth in India’s milk production has been 6 percent compared to the world average of 2 percent.
The government released the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2024 on the occasion of National Milk Day 2024, which is observed every year on 26 November in honor of the father of the White Revolution, Verghese Kurien, who was born on this day.
Addressing an event organized to celebrate National Milk Day, the Union Minister said milk production is expected to increase to about 239 million tonnes in 2023-24 due to improvement in productivity.
According to the report, “Milk production from exotic/cross breed cattle has increased by 8 per cent and milk production from indigenous cattle has increased by 44.76 per cent in 2023-24 as compared to the previous year.”
According to the report, total egg production is expected to increase by 3.17 per cent to 142.77 billion in 2023-24.
The report said that the per capita availability of eggs is 103 eggs per year. India is the second largest country in the world in egg production.
The report said meat production has increased by 4.95 per cent and is estimated to reach 10.25 MT in 2023-24. The total wool production in the country is estimated at 33.69 million kg.
The Union Minister stressed the need to bring dairy farmers into the organized sector as this will increase milk production and their income and eliminate middlemen.
He also talked about the need to promote exports of dairy products.
The Union Minister asked dairy farmers to vaccinate their animals as the government is providing free vaccination to help protect them from the disease.
He said that foot and mouth disease and brucellosis will be eliminated from the country by 2030 and this will help in increasing exports.
The Union Minister also asked dairy farmers to adopt sex-sorted semen and artificial insemination on a large scale.
The Union Minister said that the government is also focusing on breed improvement of livestock.
–IANS
SKT/AS
