Milk Industry in India

India, the cradle of Indus valley civilization, is well-known for the agriculture in the past. Aryans had brought with them cows to generate power for agriculture operations and milk for their consumption. The story of 'holy cow' is till in the history and is used as a mighty tool in politics. Nevertheless India has been recognized as the top nation in the world for milk production reaching 104 MMT (NDDB). The advent of milk cooperative movement in the middle of the last century under the unique leadership of Dr.V.Kurien lifted the country to such an enviable position. He, a highly qualified and USA trained dairy engineer sacrificed his whole life for the cause of milk industry in India and converted Anand a remote village into the centre of operations for the country.

The development was totally based on the industry by introducing milk process, product development and marketing to fetch reasonable income to the poor farmers who had to throw away milk after two hours unless sold. Once the market got established the operation agreed to spend some fund for the development of cattle. The operation remained in the area of animal reproduction and veterinary treatment. The trader's intervention in enhancing the price of cotton seed the then feed for milk production forced Dr. Kurien to introduce the feed industry as a part of his operation. Ultimately the milk revolution called 'Operation Flood' had the following industrial wings

1. Dairy plant
2. Feed plants
3. Semen bank
4. Veterinary mobile units. 

The major portion of the operation 'the milk production' remained invisible with the poor farmers. Since no one estimated the costing at the farmer's door step and the farmer considered the money flown to his hands as sole profit the system flourished. Hence the milk industry in India had the strength of 340 million cows, 64 million buffaloes clustered to 150 dairy projects (NDDB 1990). Prof. Ramaswamy who argued for bullocks claimed that 200 million cows produce 80 million bull calves in a year which contribute to the large quantity of milk production in the country. The bottom line is there was no thrust to increase the productivity of dairy cows/buffaloes in India. When large farms with high producing cows were coming up in the developed countries there was no encouragement for such operations in India. As long as milk was available at reasonable price there was no cry from the public against the cooperative system which remained unpolluted with politics with their bye laws. The milk price was increased carefully to avoid public agitation. Operation flood also formed a milk grid to flow milk to the deficient states to stabilize the price.

Milk is produced in cow's udder by bio-transferring of feed nutrients like protein, fat, fibre into milk protein, lactose and butter. The rate of conversion controls the milk production efficiency. As a thump rule it is considered 1.5 kg milk is produced by converting 1 kg dry feed (includes fodder and concentrates). In advanced farms it is seen as 2.2 kg milk for 1 kg feed. According to the available data the above figure is 1 kg milk for 1.5 kg feed in India (excluding the well managed farms). In nutritional calculation 100g feed protein and 1500 KCals metabolisisble energy is used to produce 34 g protein, 49 g lactose and 35 g butter.  But in India the above standard is not looked into. In every industry the energy cost is the basis for production cost but here in milk it is the least. In India the milk production per cow is less than 10 kg per day where as in advanced farm it is over 40 kg. The feeding standard worked out at BIS is targeting the low yielding cows. The only standard which was worked out in 1990 is the bypass protein feed which is getting fade away where as it is getting stronger in advanced farms.  The nutritional standard for balanced cattle feed was formed by ignoring the nutritive values of fodder part. The scientific centres gave the advice to farmers to equalize green forage 10 kg to 1 kg balanced cattle feed.  Therefore the real costing of milk has to be worked out on the feed: milk ratio. In order to increase the conversion rate of feed to milk new feed technologies need to be engaged in feed mills.

The feed plants are designed to grind, mix and pelletize the feed ingredients which may not assist in increasing the nutritive value of the feed. The feed technologies developed to increase the feed conversion are

The introduction of the above technologies in feed plants would largely support the milk industry.

Even though Kerala has well established dairy plants and feed plants the state is facing acute shortage of milk. The adulterated milk imported from other states support the demand. The price increase is inevitable. It is understood that a cross bred cow has been adjusted to 350kg body weight and fed 12 kg feed including the scarce paddy straw to produce 8 litre of milk with low fat and SNF. There is a hue and cry for the forage availability in the state where land is shrinking with real estate ventures. At the same time huge quantities of grass is burnt. A proper technology will convert the grass into suitable forage feed. The 14-'6% protein balanced cattle feed can only increase the profit to the feed mills and increase the feeding cost for milk production. Kerala Govt is setting up Hi-Tech farms with obsolete feeding technology. The latest feeding technology in farms is total mixed ration (TMR). The feed plants in the state should concentrate to produce Hi Tech feeds.

When the state is developing small cross breed cows to reduce their forage demand it is worth to ponder on the development of dairy goats. These small ruminants could be well managed in small sheds with complete feeds which could be developed to a FCR of 3 better than cows. GOAT MILK is an ancient food of Keralites before the import of Sindhi cows. Vechoor cow is equal to a dairy goat. The goat milk could be produced as 'designed milk' with low cholesterol and high CLP. High CLP will reduce cancer in human.

The development of 'Broiler goat and beef' will be a supporting operation for dairy industry. The special feeds for meat production could be produced in feed plants and with less floor space these animals could be managed

Dairy farms are well established in the Gulf. Al Marai Company in Saudi Arabia set up dairy farms in other countries including Pakistan. Kerala has a strong tie with Saudi which feeds the state with enormous foreign exchange. If the above company is invited like Dubai Govt for Smart city, to set up a dairy farm in Wynad or Munar etc it will make sea changes in the dairy scenario in the state.

Milk has become an essential component in our diet today. Therefore making it available at reasonable price is a requirement. More than politicking dairy operation inducting technology would go a long way in ameliorating it. The concerted approach may convert Kerala into another Denmark in Milk.