Telangana milks other states to meet growing demand

metro india news I hyderabad

Milk production in Telangana has been declining steadily, pushing the state’s dairy sector into a deepening crisis. Telangana currently ranks13th among Indian states in milk production, even as demand continues to outstrip domestic supply.

The state government and the Animal Husbandry Department have allegedly failed to take adequate measures in that direction, according to stakeholders in the sector. The state is currently importing around 2.5 to 2.6 million liters of milk every day from other states. Domestic milk production is estimated at only 700,000 to 800,000 liters per day.  The shortage has been attributed primarily to the lack of growth in Telangana’s livestock population.

Opportunity to leverage central schemes

Industry stakeholders believe Telangana could significantly expand its dairy sector by making full use of schemes implemented by the Central government, particularly the Rashtriya Gokul Mission. The scheme provides opportunities to obtain substantial subsidies for the development of indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds, establishment of breeding farms and promotion of artificial insemination.

The state could also make use of the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) to establish dairy processing facilities, milk-packing units and value-added dairy products. With support from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Telangana can also access financial grants and capital subsidies for milk procurement systems, cold-chain infrastructure and technological assistance, stakeholders said.

Lack of incentives driving farmers away

Farmers are facing several challenges, including insufficient financial support, rising cattle-feed costs and inadequate access to effective veterinary services. According to data cited from the National Sample Survey, only 0.87 per cent of rural farm households in Telangana earn their livelihood from livestock rearing. Farmers and farmer organizations have also called for the revival of cattle distribution programs, with dairy animals being provided to individual beneficiaries to encourage more farmers to enter the sector.

‘Telangana can move from 13th to first position’

Charan Kaushik Yadav, Chairman of the Telangana Livestock Development Agency, said the state has considerable potential to increase milk production and eventually move from its current 13th position to the top position nationally. He said the inflow of milk from other states could lead to concerns over quality and adulteration, while stressing the need to strengthen domestic production.

He added that a proposal had been made to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to establish dairy units under women’s groups, with every two mandals treated as a cluster and one dairy unit established in each cluster using subsidies available under Central government schemes. The milk collected through these units could then be channeled through Vijaya Dairy, he said.

With rising dependence on milk from neighboring states, stakeholders say Telangana now faces an urgent need to strengthen its livestock base, improve veterinary and feed support, increase incentives for dairy farmers and make better use of Central government schemes to build a sustainable dairy economy within the state.