Gandhinagar, June 1: Gujarat has recorded a remarkable increase of 12.5 million tons in annual milk production over the past two decades. This achievement positions the state as the fourth-largest milk producer in India, earning it a leading role in what officials describe as “White Revolution 2.0.”
These figures were released ahead of World Milk Day, celebrated annually on June 1 to highlight the importance of milk as a source of nutrition and to acknowledge the dairy sector’s contributions to livelihoods and food security.
India remains the world’s largest milk producer, a title it has held since 1998. The country now produces approximately 247 million tons of milk each year, contributing about 25 percent to global milk production.
According to statistics, milk production in India has seen a nearly 69 percent increase over the last decade, growing at an annual rate of 5.5 percent. The dairy sector contributes around five percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Per capita availability of milk in India has also significantly increased, rising by 52 percent over the past decade to reach 485 grams per person per day.
In Gujarat, annual milk production has surpassed 19 million tons, accounting for 7.78 percent of the national total. The state has maintained an average annual growth rate of 9.3 percent over the last 20 years. In the past decade, per capita milk availability in Gujarat has increased by 48 percent, now standing at 730 grams per day, well above the national average.
The state government attributes this growth to continuous investments in animal health care, breeding programs, and dairy infrastructure.
Gujarat’s livestock population, approximately 27.5 million, is supported by a network of 1,137 veterinary hospitals, 564 primary animal treatment centers, and 587 mobile veterinary clinics, providing services in rural areas.
The veterinary infrastructure includes 34 multi-purpose veterinary hospitals and 21 animal disease investigation units. Currently, 4,710 registered veterinarians are actively providing health care and disease management services for livestock.
The government has also enhanced the use of breeding techniques aimed at improving animal breeds and productivity. Farmers are offered gender-sorted semen doses at highly subsidized rates.
Officials report that the success rate of this technology exceeds 90 percent, resulting in a majority of successful births yielding female calves.
Farmers adopting in vitro fertilization techniques for livestock are also receiving subsidies.
In February of this year, Amul launched its artificial intelligence platform, ‘Amul AI,’ featuring a digital assistant named ‘Saralaben.’ This platform is designed to provide 24/7 support to over 3.6 million dairy farmers, offering guidance on animal health, balanced nutrition, breed improvement, and government welfare schemes.
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