Enhanced dairy access to combat nutrition deficiency: Ramesh Chand

Chand said in a working paper published by NITI Aayog that improving nutrition remains priority of the country.

This, he said, cannot be achieved through cereals as consumers do not show preference to increase intake of cereals. “In contrast to this, income elasticity of demand for milk and dairy products is quite high. This shows that preference for milk and other dairy products remain high. Therefore, milk and dairy can help in addressing nutrition deficiency and health outcome especially in children and women,” Chand argued in a paper titled ‘India’s white revolution: achievements and the next phase.’

Per capita absorption of milk and milk products in the country has almost doubled during the last 20 years. This growth along with the level of intake implies that milk has made highest contribution to improve nutrition in the country, the paper said.

It also hilighted that the dairy sector faces some major challenges– low productivity of milch animals, increased emission of greenhouse gases and having detrimental effect on climate change and very low share of export.

Much of the growth in milk output during last 50 years is due to increase in population of dairy animals. This has serious ecological and environmental implications, the paper said. The number of female bovines in India increased from 122.7 million in 1972 to 246.7 million in year 2019, contributing to higher green house gas emission by dairy animals. Future emphasis should be to achieve growth in milk output through growth in productivity. This will require improvement in quality of breeds, feeding material and practices, better upkeep and health of livestock. Increase in productivity is also important from efficiency and competitiveness angles, the paper said.