Date:14/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/14/stories/2008091455000700.htm

National

Pawar: new plan to raise milk productivity

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Centre plans to launch a National Dairy Plan to increase milk production to achieve 160 to 180 million tonnes by 2021, Union Minister Sharad Pawar said here on Saturday. The government intends to do this partially through loans from the World Bank.

“Under the new initiative, a national dairy plan with an investment of over Rs. 17,000 crore is being envisage,” he said. The proposed investment will be spread over five to six years.

As the largest producer of milk India is estimated to have produced 102 million tonnes of milk in 2007-08 and production is growing at the rate of four per cent per annum. “As the World Bank does not finance 100 per cent of the project, some responsibility will be taken by the Centre,” Pawar said.

Speaking at the National Conference of State Ministers of Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development, Mr. Pawar said despite India is the largest producer , the per capita availability is 246 grams per day which was much lower than the world’s average of 285 grams per day.

Mr. Pawar said a serious constraint in raising productivity of animals was the deficit in fodder availability.