India’s milk production increased by 35.04 per cent, during the period between 2015-16 and 2020-21 to top 200 million tonnes (mt).

This information was provided in the Lok Sabha by Parshottam Rupala, Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. In a separate response, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the US has agreed to resume Indian mango imports from this year.

Karnataka led the 55-mt rise (from 155 to 210 mt) in six years , while Uttar Pradesh is the top producer in terms of total production.

According to the provisional figures provided in the Lok Sabha, India’s milk production increased to 210 mt in 2020-21. The production was 155 mt in 2015-16

Karnataka’s milk production has seen an increase of 72.39 per cent (4.59 mt) during the period between 2015-16 and 2020-21. The State’s milk production went up from 6.3 mt in 2015-16 to 10.9 mt in 2020-21.

Top producer

Though Uttar Pradesh remained the top producer of milk in the country with 31.36 mt in 2020-21, the production declined by 1.58 per cent over 2019-20. However, the production was up by 18.84 per cent (4.97 mt) during the period between 2015-16 and 2020-21.

Barring 2017-18, milk production was in a declining trend in Kerala in all other years between 2015-16 and 2020-21. The overall reduction in milk production was around 1.15 lakh tonnes during the six-year period.

There was decline in production in states such as Andhra Pradesh (3.60 per cent), Haryana (3.84 per cent), Uttarakhand (2.56 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (27.61 per cent), Manipur (20.74 per cent), and Sikkim (12.01 per cent) in 2020-21 when compared to 2019-20.

To a query in Lok Sabha on the steps taken by the Government to increase milk production in the country, Rupala said the Government has been implementing some major Central sector and Centrally-sponsored schemes to enhance milk production.

The Government has been implementing Rashtriya Gokul mission since 2014 for the development and conservation of indigenous breeds, genetic upgradation of bovine population and enhancement of milk production and productivity of bovines, thereby making milk production more remunerative to farmers engaged in dairying.

He said the national programme for dairy development aims to enhance the quality of milk and milk products and increase share of organized milk procurement.

Mango exports

To a query on India’s mango exports to US, Tomar said the US has agreed to resumption of export of mangoes from India from the season 2022.

He said a phyto-sanitary framework agreement has been signed between the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - on resuming export of mangoes from India.

Further, a framework agreement has been signed between the Department of Plant Protection, Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the USDA for agriculture market access.

He said the resumption of export of mangoes will result in increased income for farmers.

Garlic production

Tomar said the states such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Assam are leading in garlic production in the country.

As per the third advanced estimates for 2020-21, garlic production in the country went up to 3.18 mt from 1.61 mt in 2017-18, an increase of 97.51 per cent.

A major part of garlic production came from Madhya Pradesh. In 2017-18, Madhya Pradesh’s garlic production was at 4.05 lakh tonnes from an area of 92,500 hectares. The third advanced estimates for 2020-21 showed the state’s garlic production at 1.95 mt from an area of 1.90 lakh hectares.

Banana output

In another reply, Tomar said the total acreage of banana production in the country stood at 9.23 lakh hectares (third advanced estimates) in 2020-21 as against 8.83 lakh hectares in 2017-18.

Banana production in the country has been increased to 33.3 mt in 2020-21 (third advanced estimates) from 30.8 mt in 20217-18.

Although India accounts for 15.5 per cent area of global banana production, the country’s contribution to the global production is 25.58 per cent.

He said the Centre has developed value-added products and also developed an export protocol for shipping via sea to reduce the cost of transport for ‘Nendran’, ‘Red banana’ and ‘Grand Nain banana’ to Middle East and European countries. This resulted in area expansion and increased productivity, Tomar said said.

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