KOCHI: Kerala occupies the 13 {+t} {+h} position among the milk-producing States, according to 2009-10 figures, Union Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas said in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday in reply to a question by K.P. Dhanapalan, MP.
The State produced 2.483 million tonnes of milk during the year. It was 2.253 million tonnes in 2007-08 and 2.441 million tonnes in 2008-09.
Uttar Pradesh, with 20.103 million tonnes, topped the list. Andhra Pradesh stood second with 10.430 million tonnes. Gujarat was in the fifth place with 8.843 million tonnes. Tamil Nadu (5.778 million tonnes), Karnataka (4.822 million tonnes) and West Bengal (4.279 million tonnes) occupied the 10th, 11th and 12 {+t} {+h} positions respectively. The figures indicated an overall increase in the production of milk in the country. The total production in 2009-10 exceeded 112 million tonnes, while it was over 104 million tonnes in 2007-08 and in excess of 108 million tonnes in 2008-09, Prof. Thomas said.
To a question whether dairy farming was becoming unprofitable, the Minister replied in the negative. He said the government had taken several measures to augment the availability of milk and to stabilise its price in the domestic market.
The National Dairy Development Board had been given permission to import 30,000 million tonnes of milk powder and 15,000 million tonnes of anhydrous milk fat (AMF), with no import duty, for use by milk federations and metro dairies during lean months. All the State governments had been requested to exempt or reduce VAT on molasses and other ingredients of cattle feed with a view to reducing its cost, the Minister said.
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