Milk output up 28% in last 4 years; farmers earning Rs 7 per litre more: Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh

New Delhi: The country’s milk production has risen by 28 percent in the past four years to 176.35 million tonne, while farmers are getting an average Rs 7 per litre higher price for their milk, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said Monday. Addressing a National Milk Day event, Singh said there is a need to boost milk demand and stressed on raising milk processing level to 30 percent, from the current 20 percent. “We have taken a number of steps in the last four years to boost the dairy sector which is very important for doubling farmers income by 2022. The results of these efforts have started to become visible,” he said while highlighting the initiatives like Rashtriya Gokul Mission, opening of breeding centres and dedicated fund for the dairy sector. [caption id=“attachment_5215161” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] The minister said the country’s milk production stood at 137.7 million tonne in 2013-14 and now it has risen to 176.35 million tonne in the previous financial year. He said the annual growth in milk production stood at 6.5 percent during 2014-18, against 4.29 per cent during 2010-14. The average price that farmers are getting has also risen to Rs 29 per litre from Rs 22 per litre, the minister said. Singh further highlighted that per-capita availability of milk has also increased to 376 per gram per day from 307 gram. “The demand for milk products is increasing. There is a need to boost processing capacity and value-addition,” he said. The minister also emphasised on raising productivity of indigenous cow to boost production. He said 20 embryo transfer technology centres are being established in the country and proposals for 19 of them have been approved so far. These centres are producing 3,000 high genetic merit bulls of indigenous bovine breeds. Animal Husbandry Secretary Tarun Shridhar expressed confidence that the country’s milk production would touch 250 million tonne by 2022. “We will achieve this target easily.”