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Union Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri Sharad Pawar called for adoption of policies that would ensure required growth and development of Indian dairy industry in the emerging world scenario. In World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime, international trade is in a frame of quality standards. The Minister appealed that the practices followed in the country for production and processing of milk, cannot remain at variance with international standards. Shri Pawar was addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to his ministry, here today.
The expected milk production in India during the year 2004-05 is around 91 million tonnes and the end of the Eleventh Five Year Plan projects the production to 127 million tonnes. Despite no special incentives for export the value of exports of milk products from India has increased from Rs.2.49 crores in 1990-91 to Rs.93.00 crores during 2003-04. With this growth rate, the Minister said, it is necessary to see the avenues for milk in the international market. Sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures are becoming mandatory for export and serious efforts have to be made to achieve international standards to ensure quality export. Most of the Dairy units are seriously looking into the improvement of sanitary and hygienic conditions by adopting ISO certification as well as HACCP programmes, he said. A Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Strengthening infrastructure for quality and clean milk production” has also been introduced in Tenth Plan. About 56 projects with a total outlay of Rs.66.57 crores having a central share of Rs.53.60 crores have been approved during the last financial year..
The Minister highly regarded the Operation Flood project that had benefited 10 million farm families during its 26 years period from 1970. The government has started a Central Sector Scheme “Assistance to Cooperatives” to revive the sick societies/unions established during Operation Flood, with total outlay of Rs. 154.77 crore. .
The Animal Husbandry Department has launched Integrated Dairy Development Project (IDDP) during 1993-94 on 100 per cent grant in aid basis to support backward areas especially North Eastern states and hilly areas. Since inception of the scheme, 62 projects with a total outlay of Rs.334.09 crores have been sanctioned in 26 States and Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The scheme has benefited about 7.12 lakh farm families organized into about 11,600 village level Dairy Cooperative Societies. The scheme has been restructured recently to cover those districts where an investment of less than Rs.50 lakh was made during Operation Flood. The scheme will have a cluster approach – it will focus on availability of fodder, water and proximity to processing plants, Shri Pawar explained..
The Minister said that some States are still running Milk Cooperatives against the spirit of cooperative movement. The Constitutional Amendment in Cooperatives Act, which was in pipeline, to facilitate smooth and efficient running of societies would benefit milk farmers financially better, he said. Shri Pawar explained the present scenario of dairy sector in the country. India ranks first with its 185 million cattle and 98 million buffaloes accounting for about 51 percent of Asia’s and about 19 percent of world’s bovine population. We maintain 57 percent of the world’s buffalo population. During the last two decades, due to intensive efforts made on cross breeding, the cross bred cows have also emerged as an important dairy animal. The percentage of cross bred cattle has now increased to 13.3% from 10% in 1997. However, output of cross bred cows is much higher and is estimated to be around 45 per cent of total cow milk production. About 70 million rural families, primarily small and marginal farmers and landless labourers, are engaged in milk production. During the post-independence period, India’s dairying has made spectacular progress. Milk production has increased more than five-fold from a mere 17 million tons during 1950-51 to 88 million tons during 2003-04. India now ranks first among the world’s milk producing nations. The per capita availability of milk which was 107 gm per day in 1969-70 has become 231 gm per day in 2003-04. The Consultative Committee members have suggested that there is a great need for policy shift towards safeguarding the community grazing lands in the villages, which are directly affecting the dairy development in rural India. Regularisation of slaughterhouses and venture capital fund needs to be doubled to strengthen the dairy sector. To attract private investment in the dairy sector creation of conducive atmosphere, fodder availability in upland areas, special attention towards women Self Help Groups, milk chilling points in rural areas and cattle population-veterinary hospitals ration are among the issues the committee members raised. Minister of State for Agriculture Shri Kantilal Bhuria, Members of the Lok Sabha S/Shri Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Suresh Ganapat Wagmare, Gauri Shankar Chaturbhuj Bisen, K Francis George, K Dhanaraju and Ms. Archana Nayak Members of Rajya Sabha S/Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, Jayantilal Barot, C Perumal, C Ramachandraiah also attended the meeting.
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