Uttar Pradesh tops in milk production today as it is increasing in the state at an average rate of nine lakh metric tons annually.
Statistics reveal that milk production has gone up from 277.697 lakh metric tons in 2016-17 to 318.630 lakh metric tons in 2019-20 in UP. In the last four years, 1242.37 lakh metric tons of milk has been produced in the state.
Six big companies, including Amul, have set up their dairy plants in UP at a cost of Rs 172 crore in the last four years while work is underway on setting up seven others. Besides, 15 investors have offered to set up their units.
The investments being made in the dairy sector have also created massive employment opportunities in the rural areas of the state. The number of villagers doing milk business by rearing cows and buffaloes is increasing consistently.
According to official statistics, Uttar Pradesh is the largest milk producing state in the country, accounting for more than 17 per cent of the total milk production in India.
In order to promote milk production in the state, the state government started protecting milch animals and setting up greenfield dairies. Greenfield dairies are being set up in Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Meerut, Bareilly, Kannauj, Gorakhpur, Firozabad, Ayodhya and Moradabad districts of UP while four old dairies at Jhansi, Noida, Aligarh and Prayagraj are being upgraded, officials disclosed.
Furthermore, the Yogi Adityanath government sanctioned Rs 272 crore for the setting up of cow protection centres in all the districts of the state. Elaborate arrangements have been made for the protection and maintenance of destitute and abandoned bovine.
These efforts of the government have resulted in raising considerable interest among investors in the dairy industry of UP, many of whom have already set up their plants whereas several others are working on it.
Several dairy plants have sprung up in UP in the recent past. Purvanchal Agrico, Shrestha Food, Desi Dairy, New Amit Food, Creamy Food and CP Milk Food have set up plants in Ghazipur, Bijnor, Meerut, Gonda, Bulandshahr and Lucknow respectively.
The UP government is also constructing cow protection centres and a ‘Govansh Vanya Vihar’ to enhance milk production in the state further. The construction of 118 such centres has already been completed.
Apart from this, more than 66,000 cows have been handed over to willing cattle owners under the Chief Minister's Destitute Govansh Sahayog Yojana.
In order to promote cattle rearing and milk production, the state government has launched Gokul Award and Nand Baba Award. The awards are given to the highest producer of milk from indigenous cows.