NDDB gears up for 2nd White Revolution

ANAND: Fourteen years after Operation Flood (OF) that turned India into world's largest milk producer, the country is set to take another big leap forward through a second milk revolution. The National Dairy Development Board ( NDDB) is all set to usher in country's second White Revolution through National Dairy Plan (NDP) that aims to double India's milk production.

To execute this plan with financial outlay of Rs 17,300 crore, the national board has not only formed a special purpose vehicle — NDDB Dairy Services — but has also decided to kick off its first phase from April 2011. With an outlay almost 10 times more than OF, NDP like OF will be implemented by NDDB as a multi-state initiative in phases with assistance largely from World Bank. Spread over a span of 26 years, OF initiated by Father of White Revolution Dr Verghese Kurien as the ‘billion-litre idea' in July 1970, had financial outlay of Rs 1,750 crore.

"Though India's milk production is growing at an impressive 4%, which is double the pace of world's milk production, the average annual incremental production is 2.5 million tonnes, which has to increase to five million tonnes to meet the projected demand of 180 million tonnes by 2020-21. NDP is proposed to increase country's milk production from current 108 million tonnes to meet this projected demand," said NDDB chairman Amrita Patel here on Thursday, adding that NDP's first phase will continue till March 2017.

The department of animal husbandry and dairying has completed a series of high-level consultations with 14 major dairying states, which currently account for over 90% of India's milk production, on initiatives to launch a scientifically planned programme to increase bovine productivity and milk production. A soft loan, repayable over 35 years, is being proposed for funding various activities.