Indian dairy sector protected, says industry body IDA on proposed Indo-US trade deal

The government has protected the interest of the dairy sector in the trade agreement with the US, according to industry body IDA.

India and the US have announced in a joint statement the framework for an Interim Agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade.

"We are protected, and we are safe. There is nothing to worry," Indian Dairy Association (IDA) President Sudhir Kumar Singh told reporters when asked about the Indo-US trade agreement.


Singh said the imports of dried distillers' grains (DDGS), an animal feed, would also be very minimal.

IDA is organising its 52nd Dairy Industry Conference in the national capital from February 12-14, to showcase vast business opportunities emerging across India's rapidly growing dairy sector.

Singh said more than 3,000 people are expected to participate in the conference.

The conference would bring together producers, processors, technologists, researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs from India and abroad, he said.

The three-day conference will provide dairy producers and stakeholders from across the country with opportunities to integrate their businesses with technology, innovation, quality enhancement, and sustainable income growth.

India currently contributes 25 per cent of global milk production, a share expected to grow to 45 per cent by 2047.

The country ranks first in global milk production. Total milk production in the country is estimated at 247.87 million tonnes during 2024-25, up from 239.30 million tonnes in 2023-24, registering a growth of 3.58 per cent year-on-year.

Singh said there is a lot of scope for increasing the country's milk production through improvement in productivity.

He said the government is focusing on breed improvement through advanced technologies such as In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and Sex Sorted Semen (SSS).

As the world's largest milk producer, India holds immense potential - not only in terms of volume, but also in leading global innovation in dairy processing, nutrition, sustainability, and value addition, the association said.