National Milk Day is annually observed across India on 26th November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien, the Father of the White Revolution in India.
- The day is annually organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying.
Observance:
26th November 2023 marks the observance of 10th National Milk Day and 102nd birth anniversary of Verghese Kurein.
Background:
i.National Milk day was jointly initiated by the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and 22 other state-level milk federations in 2014.
ii.The 1st National Milk Day was observed on 26th November 2014.
About Verghese Kurien:
i.Verghese Kurien was born on 26th November 1921 in Kozhikode (formerly Calicut), Kerala and passed away on 9th September 2012 in Nadiad, Gujarat.
ii.He founded National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 1965 and served as its first Chairman (1965 to 1998).
- Kurien was fondly known as the ‘Milkman of India’.
iii.He received the Padma Shri (4th highest civilian award) in 1965 and Padma Bhushan (3rd highest civilian award) in 1966 for Trade and Industry, Gujarat and he received the Padma Vibushan (2nd highest civilian award) in 1999 for Science and Engineering, Gujarat.
iv.Also, he received World Food Prize in 1989 for devising a cooperative milk production and distribution system and the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1963 for his innovative coordination of the government and private sector to enhance food and sanitation in India.
v.In 2005, he released his autobiography book in the name “I Too Had a Dream”.
Operation Flood:
i.Verghese Kurien started the “white revolution” also known as Operation Flood in 1970. It turned India from a dairy importer to the world’s greatest milk producer by implementing a farmer-cooperative system, it was the world’s largest agricultural development programme.
Note:
According to Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT), India is the world’s largest milk producer, accounting for 24% of global milk production.
Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2023:
On the occasion of National Milk Day 2023, Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying released the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2023 (milk, egg, meat and wool production 2022-23)in Guwahati, Assam.
About the report:
The report is based on the results of the Animal Integrated Sample Survey(ISS) collected between March 2022 and February 2023.
Milk Production:
i.India’s milk production witnessed a growth of 22.81% over the past five years.
- It reached an estimated 230.58 million tonnes in 2022-23 against 187.75 million tonnes in 2018-19.
ii.This increase marks a steady upward trend, with annual growth rates of 6.47% in 2018-19, 5.69% in 2019-20, 5.81% in 2020-21, 5.77% in 2021-22 and 3.83% in 2022-23.
iii.The report also listed the highest milk producing State.
| Rank | State | Milk Production Share in % (2022-23) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 15.72 |
| 2 | Rajasthan | 14.44 |
| 3 | Madhya Pradesh | 8.73 |
| 4 | Gujarat | 7.49 |
| 5 | Andhra Pradesh | 6.70 |
iv.The top performing states with respect to Annual Growth Rate (AGR) are
| Rank | State | Annual Growth Rate in % (AGR) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karnataka | 8.76 |
| 2 | West Bengal | 8.65 |
| 3 | Uttar Pradesh | 6.99 |
Egg Production:
i.In 2022-23, the total egg production in the country was estimated at 138.38 billion nos., representing a 33.31% increase over the past 5 years compared to 2018-19.
ii.The production has increased annually by 6.77%during 2022-23 over 2021-22. In past the annual growth rate was 9.02% in 2018-19; 10.19% in 2019-20; 6.70% in 2020-21 and 6.19% in 2021-22.
iii.Top Egg producing states are as follows:
| Rank | State | Share of Total Egg Production (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | 20.13 |
| 2 | Tamil Nadu | 15.58 |
| 3 | Telangana | 12.77 |
| 4 | West Bengal | 9.94 |
| 5 | Karnataka | 6.51 |
iv.In terms of AGR, the highest growth rate was recorded by West Bengal (20.10%) and followed by Sikkim (18.93%) and Uttar Pradesh (12.80%).
Meat Production:
i.In 2022-23, the total meat production in India was estimated at 9.77 million tonnes, representing a 20.39% increase over the past 5 years compared to 2018-19.
ii.The annual growth rate in 2022-23 was 5.13%, following annual growth rates of 5.99% in 2018-19, 5.98% in 2019-20, 2.30% in 2020-21, and 5.62% in 2021-22.
iii.The top meat producing states are as follows:
| Rank | State | Share of Total Meat Production (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 12.20 |
| 2 | West Bengal | 11.93 |
| 3 | Maharashtra | 11.50 |
| 4 | Andhra Pradesh | 11.20 |
| 5 | Telangana | 11.06 |
iv.With respect to AGR, the highest growth rate (AGR) has recorded in Sikkim (63.08%) followed by Meghalaya (38.34%) and Goa (22.98%).
Wool Production:
i.In 2022-23, the total wool production in India was estimated at 33.61 million kg, marking a 16.84% decline compared to the 40.42 million kg produced in 2018-19.
ii.Despite this overall decline, wool production experienced 2.12% increase in 2022-23 compared to the 2021-22.
iii.This positive growth follows a period of negative growth rates such as -2.51% in 2018-19, -9.05% in 2019-20, -0.46% in 2020-21, and -10.87% in 2021-22.
iv.The top wool producing states are:
| Rank | State | Share of Total Wool Production (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rajasthan | 47.98 |
| 2 | Jammu & Kashmir | 22.55 |
| 3 | Gujarat | 6.01 |
| 4 | Maharashtra | 4.73 |
| 5 | Himachal Pradesh | 4.27 |
v.With respect to AGR, the highest growth rate has recorded by Arunachal Pradesh (35.75%) followed by Rajasthan (6.06%) and Jharkhand (2.36%).
National Gopal Ratna Awards 2023:
i.The National Gopal Ratna Awards 2023, one of the highest National Awards in the field of livestock and dairy sector, has been conferred during the National Milk Day event.
ii.The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is organizing National Gopal Ratna Award 2023.
iii.The Award is given in 3 categories, namely,
- Best Dairy Farmer Rearing Indigenous Cattle/buffalo Breeds
- Best Dairy Cooperative/ Milk Producer Company/ Dairy Farmer Producer Organization)
- Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT)
Note:
i.For the first two category, the award consists of a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh for 1st rank, Rs 3 lakh for 2nd rank and Rs 2 lakh for 3rd rank along with a Certificate of merit and a memento in each category.
ii.For the last category, the award consist of a Certificate of merit and a memento only.
Awardees:
| Category | Rank | Name of the applicants selected |
|---|---|---|
| Best Dairy farmer rearing indigenous cattle/buffalo breeds | 1 | Ram Singh, Karnal, Haryana. |
| 2 | Nilesh Maganbhai Ahir, Surat, Gujarat | |
|
3 | Brinda Siddharth Shah, Valsad, Gujarat. | |
| Rahul Manohar Khairnar, Nashik, Maharashtra | ||
| Best Dairy Cooperative society/Milk Producer company/ Dairy Farmer producer organization | 1 | Pulpally Ksheerolpadaka Sahakarana Sangam D Ltd, Wayanad, Kerala. |
| 2 | T M Hosoor Milk Producers Cooperative Society Ltd Cooperative Society, Mandya, Karnataka. | |
| 3 | M.S 158 Nathamkovilpatti Milk Producers Cooperative Society,Dindigul,Tamil Nadu | |
| Best Artificial Insemination Technician (AIT) | 1 | Suman Kumar Sah, Araria, Bihar |
| 2 | Anil Kumar Pradhan, Anugul, Odisha | |
| 3 | Muddapu Prasadarao , Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh |
Attended Dignitaries:
These awards were conferred in the presence of Chief Minister (CM) of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Minister of State(MoS) for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Sanjeev Kumar Balyan.
Additional Info:
i.In order to conserve and develop indigenous bovine breeds in India, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has launched “Rashtriya Gokul Mission” in December 2014.
ii.It functions under the National Programme for Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development(NPBBD) .
About Indian Dairy Association (IDA):
President- R.S. Sodhi
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment- 1948
