Australian dairy delegation in Gujarat to explore collaboration

The dairy industry is Australia's third largest agricultural food industry, with farm gate value of production valued at $4 bn

A 25-member dairy delegation, which is part of a 450-member Australian business delegation, visited the Dudhsagar Dairy in Mehsana on Friday, is looking for opportunities for tie-ups with their counterparts in the Indian dairy sector, especially in areas of dairy breeds, genetics, increasing productivity of cattle etc.

Mark Morley, trade commissioner and leader of the Agricultural & Equipment, Technology and Services - Dairy delegation, said Australia has a diverse dairy manufacturing sector and is the world's fourth largest exporter of processed dairy products. The dairy industry is Australia's third largest agricultural food industry, with farm gate value of production valued at $ 4 billion. Other members of the delegation included firms like Selected Seeds, Enduro Tags, Dairy Innovation Australia, Goodman Fielder, Agritechnology Pty Ltd, Austrex Flavourtech, The Vet Group, Innovative Farm Solutions, Export Finance Insurance Corp., Goulburn Ovens TAFE, Chamberlain Veterinary Services among others. The delegation focused on dairy cattle breeds and genetics; fodder grass and animal nutrition; vocational education and training in dairy farming; research and development in milk products; dairy farm consultancy and IT-enabled services.

As Morley pointed out that Australia has a cattle population of about 1.6 million milch animals, which is roughly the size of Punjab's dairy industry here in India. "However, in terms of productivity, Australia is far ahead. The productivity per animal in Australia is around 25-30 litres per day, whereas in India it is around 5-6 litres per day. Hence, there is a huge opportunity lying there," he claimed.

He also hoped that, a similar delegation comprising officials and farmers from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) would also visit Australia to scout for opportunities of investment in that country. "Australian technology, expertise, products and services can improve India's productivity, particularly in drought and water management, agricultural research and development, sustainable agricultural practices, agricultural robotics and machinery, plant genetics and pathology, and animal husbandry," Morley said.