India's Dairy Sector Remains Steady Amid Low Inflation Rates in November: Official Report
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New Delhi, Dec 19 (NationPress) The overall milk situation in the country is stable with the year-on-year Wholesale Price Index and (WPI) and Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rates for milk recorded at low levels of 2.09 and 2.85, respectively, for the month of November 2024, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD) Secretary Alka Upadhyaya stated during a review meeting here, as per an official statement.
"There is an adequate commodity stock of skimmed milk powder, whole milk powder, white butter, and ghee. Simultaneously, there has been an improvement in milk procurement and milk procurement prices over the year,” she highlighted.
The Secretary also noted that India is the world leader in milk production, generating approximately 239.3 million metric tons in the year 2023-24, according to an official statement.
She encouraged all Milk Federations to actively participate in the Midday Meal and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programs of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD), as these represent the largest institutional domestic market for the dairy sector.
The meeting saw participation from representatives of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), and the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI), along with officials from the DAHD and State Cooperative Dairy Federations and Milk Unions across the country. The review focused on the milk situation in the nation and the advancements made by the State Milk Federations.
Upadhyaya urged Dairy Federations to enhance milk procurement and increase the prices offered to farmers, while also keeping consumer interests in mind.
During the meeting, initiatives taken by State Milk Federations like Amul (Gujarat), Nandini (Karnataka), Saras (Rajasthan), and Megha (Jharkhand) were praised, and it was suggested that other Federations should adopt similar practices.
The DAHD is also working closely with the MoWCD and MoHRD to encourage the inclusion of milk in the Midday Meal and ICDS programs. It was noted that alongside production, the consumption of processed dairy products has risen by 20 percent. A comprehensive discussion was conducted regarding strategies and initiatives needed to further enhance the processing of milk into value-added products. Detailed presentations were made by NDDB, which also extended support to states for evaluating projects under the National Programme for Dairy Development, particularly in light of shifting consumer preferences towards packaged milk and value-added products, the statement concluded.
