Dairy industry in India: Policies shaping sustainable growth

In this insightful interview under the Food Frontiers series, Dr. Abhijit Mitra, delves into the transformative policies and initiatives shaping India’s livestock sector. From the rapid growth of the dairy industry to innovative programs like the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, Dr. Mitra sheds light on how the government is fostering sustainable development, enhancing productivity, and addressing future challenges.

The discussion also highlights India’s integration of the One Health approach, emphasizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, and the strides made in global trade with disease-free zones and traceability through digital tools. Dr. Mitra further explores the pivotal role of animal husbandry in doubling farmers’ incomes, supporting rural livelihoods, and empowering women, making it a cornerstone of India’s agricultural ecosystem.

IBT: How does the government envision the growth of animal husbandry in India? What policies and initiatives are being taken?
Dr Abhijit Mitra: The livestock sector is growing at a much higher rate. For instance, the dairy sector is growing at
a CAGR of 6.6%, which is much higher than agricultural crops (4.18%). Due to change in economic status and higher
urbanization, job opportunities, overall growth in economic ecosystem, there is a rising demand for animal-sourced
food (ASF). The government’s efforts focus on sustaining the current growth trajectory while addressing future needs
and keeping the industry sustainable.

There are three main schemes being implemented. The first is the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), which focuses on
enhancing the dairy sector. This scheme has two primary objectives. One is the conservation and genetic improvement of bovines, particularly indigenous breeds to enhance productivity. The second objective focuses on developing dairy processing infrastructure. Currently, over 68% of surplus milk produced doesn’t reach organized channels.

The Department is implementing another scheme named ‘National Livestock Mission (NLM)’ which aims
to create employment, entrepreneurship development & growth in per animal productivity. It has following three
Sub-Missions:-

Sub-mission on Breed Development of Livestock and Poultry: Proposes to promote entrepreneurship development
and breed improvement in poultry, sheep, goat, piggery, camel, horse and donkey. The scheme provides 50%
subsidy to the entrepreneurs.

Sub-mission on Feed & Fodder Development: Aims towards strengthening of fodder seed chain by improving the availability of certified fodder seed and encouraging entrepreneurs.

Sub-mission on Innovation and Extension: Aims to incentivize the Institutes, Universities, Organizations
carrying out research and development and to promote extension activities and livestock insurance.

The third scheme is the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF). Projects eligible for
support include feed plants, dairy plants, waste-to-wealth plants, and poultry units. Entrepreneurs taking loans for such projects receive a 3% interest subvention.

Another important aspect is the National Animal Disease Control Program (NADCP). This program, launched in 2019, aims to control and eradicate major diseases like Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis in
bovines, Classical Swine Fever in pigs, and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) in sheep and goats. The government
covers 100% of the costs for vaccines and vaccination, ensuring that farmers do not bear the burden. Disease
management and prevention is critical because outbreaks can lead to reduced productivity, increased treatment costs, and the excessive use of antibiotics.

IBT: How is India integrating ‘One Health’ into its policies? 
Dr. Abhijit Mitra: One Health can be compared to a 3-wheeled auto-rickshaw, where wheels represent human health, environmental health, and animal health. Traditionally, human health has received the bulk of investment and attention. However, to keep humans safe, significant investment is required in the other two wheels.

Data from the last century reveals that all major pandemics—whether swine flu, SARS, MERS, plague, or
even COVID-19—have zoonotic origins. COVID-19, despite its devastating impact, has led to a greater awareness
of the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

During the G20 Summit in Indonesia, member countries collectively established a pandemic fund to enhance global preparedness. In the first call for proposals, India submitted two proposals, including one from the Department of Animal Husbandry. Only 13 projects were approved, and DAHD bagged the US$ 25 million grant for
pandemic fund project exclusively for animal health preparedness.

As part of this program, we are working to create a robust One Health mechanism. For instance, during an avian influenza outbreak, it is critical to establish a collaborative approach involving human health, animal health,
and environmental agencies. This Joint Rapid Response Team operates seamlessly, ensuring a quick and
coordinated response.

We are also focused on strengthening our laboratory network to ensure that all labs are well-equipped, interlinked,
and operating under standardized protocols. Surveillance systems are being expanded and reinforced to
provide comprehensive monitoring of diseases. Beyond this, we are placing significant emphasis on environmental
surveillance, which involves analyzing samples from water, sewage, air, and farm waste using genomic
sequencing.

This helps detect increases in pathogen loads in the environment, which could indicate the early stages of an outbreak and allow us to take preemptive measures. We are also focusing on reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Although our use of antibiotics is very low, we have launched the Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines. The purpose is to create a uniform and coordinated approach to treatment, minimizing unnecessary use of antimicrobials and drugs and generating awareness. Additionally, we are enhancing biosecurity measures in the animal and poultry farming sectors.

IBT: How is the government working to address issues in international trade for dairy?
Dr. Abhijit Mitra: Dairy products face challenges in trade primarily due to two factors: disease and residues
(such as drug or antibiotic residues). While FSSAI monitors and addresses the issue of residues, diseases remain
a significant challenge, especially FMD.

We aim to designate specific zones where all produce can be certified as disease-free for exports. When you create a compartment, it is managed with biosecurity mechanisms, and continuous surveillance ensures that the compartment remains diseasefree.

At present, we have 32 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)-free compartments, and they are performing
well in international trade. To address traceability, we have introduced the National Digital Livestock
Mission (NDLM). Under this initiative, all animals are tagged, making traceability possible. For example, in Gujarat, under NDLM, if you purchase a bottle of ghee, the QR code will show you the source.

IBT: What is the role of the animal husbandry sector in doubling farmer incomes?
Dr. Abhijit Mitra: Admittedly, India has low productivity, but the situation is not as dire as it is often portrayed. For instance, we have around 8-10 milch breeds. Their average milk production is about 10-15 kg per day. But they make up only 10-15% of the cattle population. About 27% are crossbreeds and the rest are draught or nondescript animals that yield around 1-3 l of milk per day.

This population skews the statistical average downward to around 3 kg/day. Our production system is largely
based on smallholder farms. While they face scale challenges, this system is also an advantage as they can be
organized into cooperatives, like dairy cooperatives. If we can address key issues such as disease management,
access to credit and insurance, and provide farmers with information and forward linkages for marketing, it could
be a win-win scenario.

Improving productivity is important, but it must also be sustainable. For instance, imported breeds like Holstein
Friesians can yield 40 litres of milk, but they require air-conditioned housing, high-quality feed, and intensive care.
The environmental and economic costs may outweigh the benefits.

Livestock farming is already contributing to rural livelihoods and resilience. In many cases, farmers engaged in livestock production also manage to avoid crises such as farmer suicides. Livestock acts as an “ATM” (Any Time Money) providing cash flow when needed.

Smallholder systems are more sustainable as they use local resources. For example, cow dung is used as organic manure, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. Also, these systems support rural livelihoods, improve
nutrition, and empower women, as most activities are carried out by them.

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Dr. Abhijit Mitra currently serves as the Animal Husbandry Commissioner at the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Government of India. With a career spanning over 30 years, he is widely recognized for his expertise in Animal Breeding, Genetics research, and Biotechnology, positioning himself as a distinguished leader in the veterinary and animal health sector.

Dr. Mitra’s extensive research leadership includes pioneering work in disease resistance genetics, reproductive genomics, and transgenesis(orcid.org/0000-0003-4011-2579, Dr. Abhijit Mitra – Google Scholar). His leadership experience spans key roles as Director of esteemed institutions such as the ICAR-Central Institute of Research on Cattle, Meerut (2020-2022), and the ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun, Nagaland (2015-2020). With over two decades of postgraduate teaching experience at the Deemed universities namelyICAR-National Dairy Research Institute(1995-2001)and ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute (2001-2015), Dr. Mitra has mentored and guided numerous doctoral and master’s students.