Milk availability in Madhya Pradesh more than national average: Minister

BHOPAL: The milk availability per person in Madhya Pradesh is 345 gram, which is more than the world and national average, Madhya Pradesh Animal Husbandry Minister Kusum Mehdale said today.

"Despite rising population, the availability of milk per person in Madhya Pradesh is 345 gram, which is more than the national (300 gram) and world (281 gram) average," the minister told reporters here while briefing about her various department's report card.

State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has directed to raise the availability to 500 gram per person in next five years, she said.

The average milk production in MP continues to remain more than the national average since the last three years.

In 2013-14, the milk production at national level registered an increase of 3.97 per cent, while in MP it was 8.61 per cent, Mehdale said.

The state has set a target to take this figure to 9.40 per cent in 2014-15, she said.

The minister also informed that the state has already surpassed Maharashtra in total milk production and stood at sixth position in the country.

"The state is likely to get fourth position in the country for milk production in 2014-15 by surpassing Andhra Pradesh and Punjab," Mehdale said.

On the occasion, the minister also informed about the achievements of her other departments, including public health engineering, horticulture and food processing, fisheries development, cottage and rural industries and law and legislative affairs.