Union Minister Chouhan celebrates dairy farmers powering national growth
India stands as the undisputed global leader in dairy output, contributing 25 percent of the global milk supply. Celebrating World Milk Day on June 1, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan praised dairy producers, cattle rearers, and livestock keepers for their relentless hard work. Chouhan emphasized that these rural workers have successfully made the country self-reliant, driving national economic progress through grassroots dairy farming.
Modern success stems from historical policies implemented decades ago. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation set up World Milk Day in 2001 to recognize milk as a vital global dietary staple. However, the true transformation of the domestic sector began much earlier when the central government formed the National Dairy Development Board in 1965. Led by Verghese Kurien, known widely as the Father of the White Revolution, this initiative launched Operation Flood in 1970 to build a massive network of village-level cooperatives. This legacy directly benefits regional cooperative frameworks like the Odisha State Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation (OMFED), which empowers thousands of rural households across Odisha today.
Statistical data confirms that the domestic dairy sector has experienced rapid expansion over the last decade. Annual production surged by 63.56 percent between the 2014-15 and 2023-24 financial years, climbing from 146.3 million tonnes to 239.2 million tonnes. This network now encompasses 22 milk federations, 240 district cooperative milk unions, and 24 specialized milk producer organizations.
Grassroots infrastructure remains the backbone of this economic triumph. Over 2.30 lakh villages are actively integrated into the national dairy supply chain. By cutting out exploitative middlemen and ensuring direct market access, the cooperative model secures reliable livelihoods for millions of small-scale livestock keepers, turning dairy farming into a resilient pillar of the rural economy.
