Strength of India's dairy sector is small farmers, says PM Modi

The strength of Indias dairy sector is small farmers said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday at the inauguration of the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit IDF WDS 2022 organised at India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater NoidaI hope the summit helps people learn from each other and exchange information about the dairy sector The concept of Pashu Dhan is part of our Indian tradition In India the strength of the dairy sector is small farmers and production of masses is key said PM ModiHe said the last mile beneficiaries of this summit are going to be our small and marginalised farmers The potential of the dairy sector not only gives impetus to the rural economy but it is also a major source of livelihood for crores of people across the world he saidThe Prime Minister said Indias dairy sector is recognised for production by masses rather than mass productionAlso Read Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicates various projects of Sabar dairy to the nationIndias dairy sector is recognised for production by masses rather than mass production Today 8 crore families are getting employment from the dairy sector said PM ModiHe also noted that India has become the largest producer of dairy products in the world due to the collective efforts of smallscale dairy farmersUnlike other developed countries of the world In India the driving force of the dairy sector are the small farmers Thanks to the digital revolution in India the dairy sector has progressed greatly he saidThe PM also talked about how the digital revolution in India has also reached the dairy sector and said the digital payment system can help farmers across the world Tough adaptable indigenous species are Indias uniqueness in the dairy sector he addedAccording to the Prime Ministers Office the fourdaylong IDF WDS 2022 being held from September 12 to 15 is a congregation of global and Indian dairy stakeholders including industry leaders experts farmers and policy planners centring around the theme of Dairy for Nutrition and LivelihoodAround 1500 participants from 50 countries are expected to participate in IDF WDS 2022 The last such Summit was held in India about half a century ago in 1974The Indian dairy industry is unique in the sense that it is based on a cooperative model that empowers small and marginal dairy farmers especially women Driven by the vision of the Prime Minister the government has taken multiple steps for the betterment of the dairy sector resulting in an increase of milk production by more than 44 per cent in the last eight years said the PMOThe success story of the Indian dairy industry accounting for about 23 per cent of global milk producing around 210 million tonnes annually and empowering more than 8 crore dairy farmers will be showcased at the IDF WDS 2022 it saidThe summit will also help Indian dairy farmers to gain exposure about global best practicesMinister of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala Chief Minister M Yogi Adityanath and others were presentThe evolution of the dairy sector in India and the stellar role played by dairy cooperatives since the launch of Operation Flood form an integral part of the countrys growth story as the country now is the largest producer of milkIndia contributes 21 per cent to global milk productionIt is important to note that during the 1950s and 1960s the situation of Indias dairy sector was radically different as it was a milkdeficit nation and depended more on importsThe country produced less than 21 million tonnes of milk per annum despite having the largest cattle population in the world and the sector was struggling to surviveThe annual compound growth rate in milk production during the first decade after independence was 164 per cent which declined to 115 per cent during the 1960s the Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying said in an explainer on WednesdayIn 195051 per capita milk consumption in the country was only 124 grams per day By 1970 this figure had dropped to 107 grams per day one of the lowest in the world and well below the minimum recommended nutritional standardsOver the past two decades Indias milk production has doubled The credit also goes to a wellknown federation called Amul which was created by 36 million milk producers in Gujarat In order to improve the livelihood of the farmers Amul also charted its journey on a similar path as Operation FloodDairy as an industry employs more than 80 million rural households with the majority being small and marginal farmers as well as the landless The cooperative societies have not only made the farmers selfsufficient but have also broken the shackles of gender caste religion and community Women producers form the major workforce of the dairy sector in the country The sector is an important job provider especially for women and plays a leading role in womens empowerment ANIThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no 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