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Deoni cow breeds, the local cooperatives and the Haryana state holds a special place in the field
animal husbandry department are coming up with of milk production and it is known as the ‘Milk Pail’
the agenda of reaching out to more people to take up of the country, producing 7.04 million tonnes of
dairying with better and efficient facilities for them to milk in 2014-15. Over 80 per cent of the state’s milk
do business. comes from buffaloes alone. It is famous for its ‘Mur-
However, 59.5 per cent dairies had brick and rah’ breed of buffalo. The current focus of the state
cement flooring and 59.5 per cent dairies were always government 14 is to conserve and develop its indig-
tied. About 50 per cent dairies used oxytocin while enous cattle through various schemes.
milking the animals. About 38.1 per cent dairies sold In this state, 64.6 per cent dairies had only brick
their cattle to farmers or for slaughter and 35.7 per and cement flooring and 58.3 per cent dairies did
cent dairies left their old animals as stray. About 50 not leave cattle free of tethers. Use of oxytocin was
quite in vogue as 43.8 per cent dairies used oxytocin
on cattle. About 91.66 per cent dairies had no regu-
lar veterinarian to check for diseases and 60.42 per
Those adulterating food cent dairies sold their old, unproductive cattle to
low end farmers or sent them for slaughter and 58.3
products could face per cent dairies used sick, injured or diseased cattle
for milking.
Tamil Nadu is one of the leaders in milk produc-
life imprisonment and tion with an output of 145.88 lakh litres per day. The
penalty of up to Rs10L Tamil Nadu Co- operative Milk Producers’ Federation
Limited was started in 1981 on the lines of the Gujarat
as per the amendments 15 model and is popularly known as ‘Aavin’. Various
schemes to encourage marginal farmers to take up
16 dairying have been introduced by the state govern-
proposed by FSSAI has ment since 2011. Even here, 65.6 per cent dairies had
cement and brick flooring and 74.3 per cent dairies
recommended stringent always kept their cattle on tethers. Oxytocin use was
observed in 60 per cent dairies.
The National Capital Territory of Delhi contrib-
punishment to curb such utes 2 per cent to the total dairy production of the
incidents following the country through the vast expanses of dairies flour-
ishing around its peripheries. Areas like Vasant Kunj
and Ghaziabad have approximately 100 dairies
Supreme Court order holding 15,000 cattle in one area. Sadly there is little
administrative support for the dairy owners
who establish dairies in areas. These are often sur-
rounded by garbage dumping sites, sewage lines
and illegal slaughter shops. Flooring Material 90 per
per cent dairies used ill animals for milking. cent dairies had flooring made of bricks and cement.
Similar situation prevailed in Maharashtra which Cattle were mostly tied all the time. Shockingly, 100
contributes by 6.5 per cent to the total milk share of per cent dairies used oxytocin on cattle. Almost 100
the country. The Navinypuarn scheme was launched per cent dairies did not have any male calf older
with the aim of increasing the productivity of milch than 2 months. They were either left to die or sold
cattle along with improving the existing 13 dairy for slaughter.
machinery of the state.
About 51.4 per cent dairies had flooring made up of RISING DEMAND, MORE CHALLENGES
either only bricks or only cement or a mix of the two. India is the largest producer of milk in the world since
The cattle were kept tied at all times in 100 per cent 1997, but in the year 2014, for the first time, it beat
of the dairies. The use of oxytocin was prevalent as the entire European Union. On a country basis, after
48.6 per cent dairies used oxytocin. Male calves were India, the US produces the most milk, and China
either left stray or sold for slaughter in 74.3 per cent comes in third. Our per capita availability of milk is
dairies and old cattle were sold either to smaller farm- over 300 grams per day, which is more than the world
ers or for slaughter in 60 per cent dairies and 51.4 per average of 294 grams per day.
cent dairies used ill animals for milking. However, spurred by rising incomes, a growing

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