In a written reply to Parliament on Tuesday Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said that country has achieved significant success in milk production and cooperatives have played an important role in this.
The compound annual growth rate of milk production in India is higher than the average annual growth of human population during past one decade; Parliament was informed by the Minister.
The country is estimated to produce 116.20 million tones of milk during the year 2010-11, he said. India is the world’s largest producer as well consumer of milk.
The minister said the country has achieved significant success in milk production and cooperatives have played an important role in this.
Giving details of growth in milk procurement and marketing by the cooperatives sector during the last three years, Pawar said while procurement rose by nearly 5 per cent to 26.21 million tonnes in 2010-11 as compared to 2008-09, its marketing increased by nearly 19 per cent to 21.98 million tonnes in last fiscal.
He said during the three phases of operation flood that were implemented by the National Dairy Development Board during 1970 to 1996, a national network of dairy cooperatives was established on the experience of those set up at Anand in Gujarat.
The network of dairy cooperatives continues to be supported by the dairy development schemes of the government, the minister added.
What he failed to explain was the rising prices of milk when the production continues to be so robust.