Top Milk Producing States in India

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Top Milk Producing States
  • Uttar Pradesh
  • Rajasthan
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Gujarat
  • Maharashtra
  • Punjab
  • Andhra Pradesh
  • Karnataka
  • Bihar
  • Haryana

Introduction

Dairy farming in India is a major practice in animal husbandry. Today, India ranks 1st in milk production and, accounts for over 24% of global milk production. The total milk production in India stood at 239.3 million tonnes in 2023-24. Uttar Pradesh is noted as the largest milk-producing state in India.

Top Milk Producing States

As per the National Dairy Development Board (2023-24), here is the list of milk production state wise in India:

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is the highest milk-producing state in India. Milk production in Uttar Pradesh totals 38,780 thousand tonnes.

In 2019, the total number of adult female bovines (cows and buffaloes) was 24.94 million. Buffaloes are the major milch animal in the state due to a massive proportion of breeding stocks. UP Milk Development and Milk Production Promotion Policy 2022 were cleared to create 1.25 lakh jobs and more investments in the dairy sector.

Rajasthan

Rajasthan ranks second among the top 10 milk-producing states in India. It produces 733 thousand tonnes of milk. The total population of adult female bovines in the state was 13.84 million in 2019.

Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF) has significantly contributed to making milk and its products in Rajasthan famous across India. In 2019, Mukhyamantri Dugdh Utpadak Sambal Yojana was started in the state to increase milk production and improve the financial involved in rearing cattle.

Madhya Pradesh

Milk production in Madhya Pradesh is primarily driven by its strong animal husbandry sector. This state has produces 21,326 thousand tonnes of milk. There are 12.64 million adult female bovines in the state.

MP State Cooperative Dairy Federation ensures the best interests of milk-producing farmers and provides high-quality milk and products at reasonable prices. Also, the state government has decided to offer an incentive of ₹5 per litre of milk produced by farmers. This initiative has been approved with a yearly budget of ₹ 200 crore.

Gujarat

Gujarat accounts for 18,312 thousand tonnes of milk production in India. Amul is a famous cooperative society from Gujarat, popular worldwide for its milk and related products. The state has 126 Collection Centres, 19,288 Milk Producers Cooperative Societies and 19 Dairy Processing Units functional at the district level. The total number of adult female bovines in 2019 was 5.14 million.

Twenty-seven dairy units under the Milk and Milk Products Act 1992 are registered with the state government. During 2022-23, Milk Producer Cooperative Societies of the state were involved in several activities, including the treatment of milch cattle, vaccination and artificial insemination.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is fifth, with a total milk production of 16,045 thousand tonnes. The leading milk-producing districts are Ahilyanagar, Pune, Solapur, Kolhapur and Sangli. Also, the population of adult female bovines stood at around 9 million in 2019. The state had 11,219 functional dairy cooperative societies in 2023.

The Maharashtra government offered a ₹ 5 per litre subsidy to producers supplying milk to cooperative dairies. Under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), the state has been taking steps like artificial insemination, breeding multiplication farms, and genomic selection to develop and conserve indigenous breeds.

Punjab

Punjab produced a total of 14,000 thousand tonnes of milk in India. The Dairy Development Department was established in 1964 to promote dairy development in Punjab.

The total population of adult female bovines in Punjab was 3.80 million in 2019. The improvement in milk production is mainly attributed to improved quality of fodder and milch animals, crossbred cows and commercialised milk production.

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is among the leading milk producers in India, with 13,994 thousand tonnes. Buffalo milk is the major contributor to total milk production in Andhra Pradesh. The top milk-producing districts include East Godavari, Chittoor, Guntur, Prakasam, and Krishna.

In 2020, the Andhra Pradesh Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Limited (APDDCF) was started in collaboration with the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation. Its goal is to empower women from rural regions and strengthen the dairy sector. The AP Milk Procurement & Enforcement of Safety of Milk Standards Act was enforced in 2023 to regulate milk procurement.

The state government's pragmatic policies have achieved high milk production. It involves the supply of fodder, Total Mixer Ration (TMR) and silage at subsidy prices. This allows farmers to make higher profits. Also, the Oorura Pasugrasam scheme encourages farmers to grow grass extensively to ensure there is no shortage of fodder.

Karnataka

Karnataka has a total milk production of 13,463 thousand tonnes. The total number of cows and buffaloes in the state was 5.73 million in 2019. The increased milk production is the result of increasing demand in the urban regions.

Karnataka is known for its dairy cooperatives and integrated dairy development programs. Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation Limited (KMF) leads the procurement and marketing of milk in South India. Nandini is a famous brand of milk and related products in the state. 16 Milk Unions come under KMF, which covers all Karnataka districts via Primary Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS). The adoption of scientific farming practices, the promotion of cattle health and nutrition, and access to credit facilities have significantly contributed to Karnataka's growth in milk production.

Bihar

In 2023-24, Bihar accounted for 12,853 thousand tonnes of the total milk produced in India. It is mainly because of its flourishing milk cooperative sector. As an agrarian state, it has a large agricultural and animal production base. In 2019, the total number of cows and buffaloes in Bihar was 10.82 million.

In 1983, COMFED or the Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation Limited, was formed to develop the dairy sector based on the Anand pattern. This pattern allows a cooperative structure to procure, process and market the produce. COMFED has an extensive range of products under the ‘SUDHA’ brand. Farmer’s Training Centres are available in Begusarai, Barauni, and Patna to train society functionaries and milk producers in different areas of dairying, such as artificial insemination and clean milk production.

Haryana

Haryana has made significant strides in milk production by encouraging farmers to adopt improved breeds and techniques. Its milk production amounted to 12,220 thousand tonnes in 2023-24. Per capita daily milk production has rapidly increased in Haryana due to the intensification of programs aimed at artificial insemination of buffaloes and cows. In 2019, the total number of cows and buffaloes in the state was around 3 million.

The state government introduced a scheme to establish hi-tech and mini dairy units in 2023-24. It aims to increase milk and dairy product production and create more employment opportunities. Other key initiatives include awareness drives and schemes to improve animal rearing. Haryana's efforts to ensure the availability of high-quality feed, develop cooperative models and enhance breed management have driven the growth of its dairy sector.

Milk production in India is essential for fulfilling nutritional needs, generating rural employment and contributing to the overall economy. Breed improvement, infrastructure development, cooperative models and increasing market demand drive dairy farming businesses in different states.