'India would meet 172.20 million tons milk demand by 2020'

New Delhi, Apr 23. India's domestic demand of milk and milk products would be around 172.20 million tonnes by 2020-21 and the country would have sufficient production to meet such demand, the government said today. "As per an assessment made by the Planning Commission, the domestic demand for the milk by 2020-21 is expected to be 172.20 million tons. "The milk production at national level is by large sufficient to meet the demand of milk and milk products," Minister of State for Agriculture & Food Processing Industry Charan Das Mahant said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, Mahant said that state wise data of demand and supply of milk and its based products was not available with the government. He also informed that at present, the government was not providing any subsidy on export of milk products. However, an incentive of 5 per cent duty credit on the basis of Free on Board (FoB) on export of skimmed milk powder (SMP) is being provided under Videsh Krishi and Gram Udyog Yojna, Mahant said . He further informed that the government is implementing various schemes for dairy development in the country for promoting village-based milk procurement systems through dairy cooperatives. These dairy cooperatives procure milk from the farmers on the price determined by the dairy cooperative unions or the concerned state milk federation. Mahant said that the government is providing financial assistance to these dairy cooperatives under its schemes Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna and National Mission for Protein Supplements. Moreover, the government has also taken various measures under some centrally sponsored programmes to strengthen these dairy cooperatives under Intensive Dairy Development Programme (IDDP), Strengthing Infrastructure for Quality and Clean Milk Production, Assistance to the Cooperatives, Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme and National Dairy Plan. Till March this year, 3,134 such dairy cooperatives have been established in Maharashtra under the IDDP.