National Milk Day (NMD), celebrated annually on 26th November, honours the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, known as the ‘Milk Man of India’. The Ministry of Animal Husbandry & Dairying recently marked NMD 2021, which commemorated the 100th birth anniversary of Dr. Kurien.
Dr. Kurien is remembered for the significant impact he made on India’s dairy sector. He is named the ‘Father of the White Revolution in India’ and is recognised for his project ‘Operation Flood’, deemed the world’s largest agricultural programme.
During his lifetime, Dr. Kurien established 30 farmer-run institutions. He was instrumental in launching the popular Amul brand and played a crucial role in managing the Delhi Milk Scheme and correcting the prices. Due to his groundbreaking efforts, India superseded the U.S. in 1998 to become the world’s largest milk producer.
Dr. Kurien also helped make India self-sufficient in edible oil production. His remarkable contribution to the field earned him several prestigious awards, including Ramon Magsaysay Award, Krishi Ratna, World Food Prize and India’s highest civilian awards – Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.
Operation Flood and Its Phases
Operation Flood was launched on 13th January 1970. It was the globe’s largest dairy development initiative and helped double the per capita milk availability in India over three decades. It made dairy farming the country’s most significant self-sustaining rural employment generator.
This programme was structured in three phases. Phase I, from 1970-1980, was financed by selling donated butter oil and skimmed milk powder from the European Union through the World Food Program. Phase II, from 1981 to 1985, saw increased milk sheds and urban milk outlets along with a self-sustaining system involving millions of milk producers and thousands of village cooperatives. The final phase, from 1985-1996, witnessed the expansion of dairy cooperatives and the strengthening of infrastructure for massive milk procurement and marketing.
Operation Flood aimed to boost milk production, raise rural incomes, and ensure fair prices for consumers. This mission led to India becoming the world’s largest milk producer in 2016-17.
Indian Dairy Sector: Overview and Challenges
India is the world’s leading milk producer, contributing more than 22% to global production and 57% to Asia’s total milk production. From 1951 to 2018-2019, India’s milk production rose from 17 million tonnes to 187.7 million tonnes.
The dairy sector plays a vital role in India’s agrarian economy. It constitutes approximately one-third of rural household income in India, improving farmer livelihoods, creating job opportunities, supporting agricultural industrialisation and commercialisation, and enhancing the masses’ nutrition.
Despite its significant strides, the Indian dairy sector faces challenges such as inadequate packaging and labeling of milk products, lack of market intelligence for entrepreneurs, brand building issues, and inefficiencies in cold chain transportation and storage.
Initiatives in the Dairy Sector
To address these hurdles and spur further growth, several initiatives have been put in place. These include the Gopal Ratna Awards to recognise exceptional herds of Indigenous Breeds and commend best management practices; the e-Gopala App to provide a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace; and the National Action Plan on Dairy Development 2022 aiming at increasing milk production and doubling dairy farmers’ income.
Other significant initiatives include the National Animal Disease Control Programme & National Artificial Insemination Programme to combat Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis among livestock; Pashu-Aadhar for animal traceability; and Rashtriya Gokul Mission launched in 2019 to establish 21 Gokul Grams as Integrated Cattle Development Centres.
