UP top milk producing state with 319 lakh MTPA of milk: CM Adityanath

PTI, Sep 12, 2022, 1:36 PM IST

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Greater Noida: With 319 lakh metric tonnes of annual milk production, Uttar Pradesh contributes 16 percent of India’s dairy production and is the top milk-producing state in the country, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday.

He shared the figures during his speech at the inaugural session of the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit 2022, being held in Greater Noida.

The summit, last held in India in 1974, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

”UP is the largest state in India in terms of population. It also is top in the country in milk production, having 16 percent of the country. Today UP produces 319 lakh metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) milk and is top in the country. This makes the organization of the World Dairy Summit in UP even more relevant,” Adityanath said.

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala, his deputy minister Sanjeev Balyan, and IDF president Piercristiano Brazzale, among others, were present during the address.

Adityanath noted that the theme of the Summit – Dairy for Nutrition and Livelihood — focuses on the income of farmers and animal keepers.

”Besides this, it focuses on job creation and nutrition also. These are relevant issues,” he said.

Adityanath said a majority of people engaged in animal keeping comprises those who have taken it up as a traditional occupation.

”But when we link it with technology and modern approach, then it will help in increasing their income manifold. This is why India’s traditional approach, where a large number of small and marginal farmers keep animals with the same importance with which they take up farming,” he said.

”UP and India have become top milk producers because of these animal keepers and farmers,” the chief minister said.

In the organised sector, Uttar Pradesh today has 110 functional dairies and it includes those from the cooperative sector, he said.

There are also 8,600 milk committees through which more than four lakh members engaged in milk production are active in the state, he added.

”At present, Uttar Pradesh is working on a war footing to start new Greenfield dairy plants. These plants will become functional in the next one to two years. I would request the National Dairy Development Board to provide support to UP and also leverage the opportunities present in the state for the dairy sector. The UP government is ready to support it,” he said.