India achieves 4.2% growth in milk production, says minister

India has achieved 4.2 per cent average growth in milk production, against the world average of 2.2 per cent, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Tuesday said.

Milk production in India grew by 6.7 per cent in 2015-16, he added.

Based on available statistics, the minister said the per capita availability of milk is likely to go up from the existing level of 337 gram to 500 gram daily by the year 2021-22.

A sum of Rs 2,242 crore will be spent on reaching the target, Singh said at a conference organised by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) here.

Singh said that India has been ranked first in milk production in the world for the past 15 years and credit for this goes to the small milk producers.

He said demand for milk and milk products was increasing and was likely to go up to 24 crore tonnes by 2025.

Singh said that the ministry has taken a number of steps, including Gokul Mission, to increase milk production.

"Under this mission for the year 2014-15 to 2016-17, a provision of Rs 500 crore was made. NDDB with the assistance of the World Bank and the central government has taken several measures under National Dairy Scheme Phase 1. It includes a genetic improvement among bovines, betterment of rural infrastructure in dairy and to provide better opportunities for milk vendors," Singh said.

The minister on Tuesday also participated in a programme organised by the Society of Pesticides Science India at National Agricultural Science Complex (Pusa) in Delhi. He said that various crop maladies and pests made an adverse impact on food grain production.

"Owing to these pests and maladies, the crop production on global level is reducing by 15 to 25 per cent every year," he said.

--IANS

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