3 Ways the Dairy Industry Has helped India
Since our childhood, milk has been a necessary but sometimes less-than-enjoyable part of our routine. While not everyone may relish the taste, we can never ignore its importance for providing strength and nourishment. Milk is abundant with calcium and vitamins and plays a crucial role in bone-building. Other dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese, have similar benefits.
India, right now, produces 23% of the milk produced globally. During the ‘50s and the ‘60s, milk production was scarce in India. But we did not have to look back since Amul was set up and the entire White Revolution happened. Recently, I was conversing with economist and author R N Bhaskar. We discussed how milk production had boosted India’s economy and where it began. Let’s find out the way the dairy industry has helped India.
1. Providing nutrition
The dairy industry has been vital in addressing India’s nutritional challenges. Milk and dairy products are rich sources of essential nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, and minerals, necessary for overall growth and development.
Providing fortified milk and dairy products has been crucial in addressing micronutrient deficiencies. Fortification techniques involve the addition of vitamin A, vitamin D, and iron, to improve the nutritional quality of dairy products. In a country like India, where we are still fighting neonatal death, hunger, and malnutrition, milk is an inexpensive, readily available source of nutrients.
2. Providing employment
Earnings from the dairy industry make up about 5 % of the national economy while directly providing support to more than 8 lakh farmers. Milk production involves a colossal workforce at various levels — maintenance of the cows, working in the factories, and making other milk products. Our growing industries have, therefore, successfully included a lot of people into their process, which has helped them become financially independent.
By engaging in dairy farming, women, too, have gained employment, enhanced their social status, and contributed to their family’s well-being. Additionally, dairy cooperatives and farmer-producer organizations have emerged as solid pillars of rural economic development. Thus milk production in India is changing the face of rural India — which makes up 70% of India’s total population.
3. An environmentally sustainable industry
Even a few years back, terms such as sustainability and climate resilience were strangers. But now everyone has understood that we need to acclimatize with these terms and incorporate habits that are environment friendly. The industries that contribute significantly to pollution are at the forefront of concern, and the government is tirelessly working to address this issue.
The dairy industry is, however, such an industry that has successfully adapted to eco-friendly practices to reduce its carbon footprint. Solar panels have been installed, and biogas plants are being set up to assist. The discharged water from dairy sheds is successfully recycled. The government has developed many schemes to help tackle cattle health and farmer sector waste.
Since the lockdown, technology has also amped up milk production in India. Various channels have been trying to connect consumers directly with the producers. There’s scope for more opportunities in this sector, and I hope it will be applied in due time, which will help boost India’s economy and the employment factor to a great extent.
Want to learn more such interesting quips? Tap here.
Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Buzzsprout | Spotify | Apple | Google
