DAIRY DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

DAIRY DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA In India, milk is obtainea' from cows, buffaloes, goats and from camels (in Rajasthan)'. The Indian Dairy Industry has acquired substan­tiai growth from the Eighth Plan onwards, achieving an annual output of over 88.1 million tOimes of milk. India's milk output h'-is not only placed the industry first in the world, but alsc,' represents sustained growth in the avail­ability of milk and milk products. The dairy sector is now the largest contrib utor in the agricultural sector to the nation's GDP. The lluge increase in milk supply through concerted efforts on i:.' cooperative level is known as the White Revolution.

Operation Flood Success in raising the milk production is ascribed to the Opera tion Flood project.In 1965, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was set up to promote, pli:.m and organise dairy develop­ment through cooperatives. These cooperatives were en­
visaged as democratic institu~'ions, owned and man~ged by rural producers and were ~'ensitive to the producer's demands. Basically, Anand model of dairy development was to be replicated in other parts. These cooperatives were also to provide consultancy services and set up dairy plants on a turnkey basis.

The NDDB launched 'Operation Flood' in 1970 with commodity gifts from the European Economic Community, which included skimmed milk powder aD.d butter oil. Proceeds from the sale of ~hese products were used to finance the operation. A multi-tiered cooperative structure was established under the operation with Primary Village Cooperative Societies at the base, District Unions at the district level, State Federations at the state level and the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India as the apex body for milk cooperative societies.
'Operation Flood' is considereq to be the world's largest dairy development programme. Under this programme professionals were employed at every level, particularly in marketing and application, and science and technology. The central plank of the programme was to link the rural producers' with urban consumers.

These cooperaties undertake procurement, testing, storage and transport of milk; production of a range of milk products; marketing f milk and milk products. They also provide support faci ities like balanced cattle feed, health services, artificial inremination and veter'!p'ary treatment backed by research ir production, processmg and market­ing. A brief survey of the phases of Operation Flood is given below.