Anantapur: Milk production declines due to drought conditions

Anantapur: Milk production by various dairy units remained low across the country during October to March (flush season). " "National Dairy Development Board's( NDDB) proactive actions to assess milk production in the country and state is missing, " says Vijaya Dairy manager P Rajmohan who is also a milk analyst.

Speaking to The Hans India on the national milk crisis, he opined that NDDB has failed to apprise the government of the gravity of the situation on the steep fall in milk production. Rajmohan says that if milk prices rise it is good for farmers but the price rise should not be on account of milk scarcity. If our milk production is down by 5% and market growth is 5%, then we have deficit of 10% of milk.

Until recently, India was exporting 50,000 tonnes of milk powder worth Rs.750 crores per annum and it has now slipped to a position of importing skimmed milk powder (smp) to balance deficit production. The country produces 500 million litres of milk per day and shortage is 50 million litres per day. In AP, shortage of milk production per day is 6 million litres. By import of SMP and butter the deficit can be minimised. Government of India has to act in time and import minimum of 100,000 tonnes of SMP.

The Dairy manager says that in coming summer there will be more crisis as the prices of SMP would go up.The country should act before March. Lean season in milk production will be between April to November.

He says that the decrease in milk production is due to severe drought conditions which damaged the crops resulting in non-availability of fodder. The consumption of liquid milk is growing at 4-5% and the milk production was down by 8-10%. This has resulted in the hike in prices of milk in the last two months.