The four-day-long IDF World Dairy Summit 2022 concluded on Thursday with who’s who of the international dairy sector together pledging sustainable growth by tackling the challenge of adverse impact on the environment.
“India’s fully committed to sustainability. It will be adopted rather than imposed on milk producers for attaining growth with sustainability. Government is according to the highest priority to tackle the issue of farm sector waste for which many initiatives including the ‘Waste to Wealth’ programme encompassing proper use of dung to shore up farmers’ income,” Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Animal Husbandry and Dairying said.
“The inauguration of the summit by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and a number of senior cabinet colleagues, including Home & Cooperative Minister Shri Amit Shah is ample demonstration of India’s commitment,” said Rupala.
Buttressing India’s commitment, Chairman of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Meenesh Shah said, “The small intervention like bio-gas and manure-based energy plants by the dairy sector are in line with 6 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
Shah shared India’s experience with the world during the conclave saying, “India will further cement its position on the global platform as the dairy business in the country is poised to growth from Rs 13 trillion now to Rs. 30 trillion by the end of the decade and the principal contributors are small farmers, including women with fast expansion of the technology and digital transaction mechanism. Our heroes are 8 crore dairy farmers, wherein the contribution of women accounts for 70 per cent.”
As many as 24 sessions were attended by the leading dairy experts from across the world, including the key sessions by members of Union cabinet lead by the Prime Minister Shri Modi discussed a range of issues from sustainability to productivity, nutrition diet and health, behoving India’s position of the world leader with 23% market share.
Speaking during the concluding session, Jitendra Nath Swain, Secretary, Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, reiterated the government’s commitment to take dairy and its sustainability to the next level.
Listing out the three main challenges of animal welfare, food safety and environment before the dairy sector, the President of International Dairy Federation Shri Piercristiano Brazalle lauded digitalization in India’s dairy sector saying, “I am very much surprised with the level of digitalization in India’s dairy sector.
Ms. Caroline Emond, Director General, International Dairy Federation promised to work with India’s dairy sector along-with rest of the world to ensure sustainability and adherence to climate change.
IDF World Dairy Summit 2022 was held in India after 48 years after the last held International Dairy Congress in 1974.