Union Budget 2020: Providing a big push to the country’s dairy industry, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today announced that the government aims to take India’s milk processing capacity to double the current levels. While the country processes 53.5 million metric tonnes currently, the same will be scaled up to 108 million metric tonnes by 2025. With this, India’s per capita milk availability will also increase by about 394 grams per day. India has already multiplied its milk production by more than 10 times since 1950, following the White Revolution brought in by Dr Verghese Kurien.
India’s dairy production and consumption is on the rise the per capita consumption of milk has increased from 4.3 litre per month in urban areas in 1988 to 5.4 litres in 2012, according to government data. In rural areas as well, consumption has jumped from 3.2 litres per month to 4.3 litres per month. Previously, NITI Aayog had projected that the country’s milk production will touch 330 million tonnes by 2033.
To improve the condition of cattles and livestock, the government looks to eliminate diseases associated with them. “Our Government intents to eliminate Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis in cattle and also PPR in sheep and goat by 2025. We are confident that it will be completely eliminated by then,” FM Sitharaman said during her budget speech.
Improving the lives of those associated with agriculture and farming was one of the most anticipated budget reform this year. To that extent, the government has allocated Rs 2.83 lakh crore for agriculture, irrigation and allied sectors for FY21. The government also reiterated its goal of doubling the farmers’ income by 2022 and has announced a 16 points action plan for alleviating the agriculture sector.
