Need for enhancing involvement of women in dairy sector, says Radha Mohan Singh

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has stressed upon the need to enhance the involvement of women in the dairy sector, adding that today India is the largest producer of milk in the world.

"The value of milk produced in India is now more than the value fetched by rice or paddy. We are the biggest producer of the milk in the world and even export skimmed milk powder. This is a big shift from when I was a kid in school, when we used to consume British milk powder," Singh said, while addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of the National Dairy Development Board here.

Stressing upon the need to further enhance the involvement of women into dairy sector, Singh added that India has the potential to grow even bigger in the diary sector.

Singh also highlighted the initiative by the Centre to protect the indigenous breeds of cows, adding that these breeds today make up about 83 percent of the total number of cows. Such cows are tolerant to climate change as well, he stated, while announcing the 'Gokul Mission', a Rs. 500 crore initiative to promote indigenous breeds.