India’s milk and egg production have nearly doubled between 2010-11 and 2020-21, government data analysed by CNN-News18 shows. The production of eggs, according to information from the department of animal husbandry and dairying and the department of fisheries, has increased by 1.9 times and that of milk by 1.7 times during the said period.
The number of eggs produced in the country has increased from 1.83 billion in 1950-51 to 122.05 billion in 2020-21. The per capita availability of eggs has also increased from five eggs per annum in 1950-51 to 90 eggs per annum in 2020-21.
“Poultry production in India has taken a quantum leap in the last four decades, emerging from conventional farming practices to commercial production systems with state-of-the-art technological interventions. Currently, the total poultry population in our country is 851.81 million (as per 20th Livestock Census) and egg production is around 122.05 billion numbers during 2020-21 (Provisional),” the department said in its annual report.
In terms of milk, as per the department, India continues to be the largest producer in the world. Milk production during 2019-20 and 2020-21 (provisional) is 198.44 million tonnes and 209.96 million tonnes respectively, showing annual growth of 5.81%. The per capita availability of milk was around 427 grams/day in 2020-21. The daily milk consumption in the country rose from a low of 107 grams per person in 1970 to 427 grams per person in 2020-21.
According to the department, the dairy sector assumes a great deal of significance for India on various accounts. It has been a major contributor to the growth of the rural economy in India.
As an industry, it employs more than 80 million rural households with the majority being small and marginal farmers as well as the landless.
The cooperative societies have not only made the farmers self-sufficient but have also broken the shackles of gender, caste, religion, and community. Women producers form the major workforce of the dairy sector in the country. The sector is an important job provider, especially for women, and plays a leading role in women’s empowerment.
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