New Delhi, Sep 29 || India continues to hold the top position in global milk production for several years now, and contributes nearly a quarter of the world’s supply, contributing 5 per cent to the national economy and directly employing more than 8 crore farmers, an official statement said on Monday.
The sector touches more than 8 crore rural households, many of whom are small and marginal farmers. Women play a significant role in production and collection, which makes dairy a strong driver of inclusive growth, the data showed.
Over the past decade, India’s dairy sector has shown a remarkable growth.
Milk production rose by 63.56 per cent from 146.30 million tonnes in 2014–15 to 239.30 million tonnes in 2023-24.
“This means the country has maintained an impressive annual growth rate of 5.7 per cent over the last 10 years. Figures from the Food and Agriculture Organisation confirm that India continues to be the largest milk producer in the world, well ahead of countries such as the United States, Pakistan, China and Brazil,” according to the government data.