Milk production to rise to 9 per cent by 2022: Radha Mohan Singh

New Delhi: The annual growth in milk production will increase to 9 per cent by 2022 from the current 6.3 per cent on the back of several initiatives taken by the Central government to boost the dairy sector, Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh said on Friday.

While speaking at “World Milk Day” function here, the union agriculture minister said, “Annual increase in milk production is 6.3 per cent during 2014-18 period while annual increase in milk production during the period 2010-14 was 4 per cent”. Milk output of India, the world’s largest producer, stood at 165 million tonnes in 2016-17. Mr Singh said the annual growth of milk production is estimated to rise to 9 per cent by 2022. The country’s milk production has increased by 23.69 per cent during 2014-18, he added.

“We are at number one position in milk production but our productivity is lower,” Mr Singh said, adding that the government was making efforts to increase milk production by raising productivity of milch animals. He  highlighted that the ministry has sanctioned 20 gokul grams during the last four years under Rashtriya Gokul Mission and out of this, 3 have been completed and work is under progress at rem-aining 17 gokul grams.