Pouring Progress: Tracing India’s Dairy Revolution

Every year we celebrate National Milk Day on the 26th of November. It marks the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, who is known as the Father of the White Revolution. This transformative movement consisted of three main ideas - creating a nationwide milk grid, boosting milk production, and ensuring fair prices for all farmers that intended to make India self-sufficient in the production of milk and dairy products.

Dr. Verghese Kurien played a pivotal role in the establishment of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in 1965. Operation Flood is an essential key component of the White Revolution. This was the the world's largest dairy development program which was launched in 1970, to make India self-sufficient in milk in three different phases.

Phase 1 (1970-1980) established new dairy cooperatives to empower farmers and improve institutional support. The NDDB played a pivotal role in providing technical assistance, financial support, and guidance to the newly formed cooperatives.

Phase 2 (1981-1985) introduced modern farming techniques for better quality & higher quantity of milk production. Infrastructure development such as cold storage facilities, transportation networks, and processing plants were established to ensure the efficient collection, storage, and distribution of milk.

In Phase 3 (1985-1996), there was a development of infrastructure for efficient milk collection and distribution including being sustainable and commercially viable. This involved strengthening marketing strategies and improving product diversification.

Operation Flood had achieved its goal of making India self-sufficient in milk production. and also emerged as one of the largest milk-producing nations globally, with the dairy sector making a significant contribution to the rural economy.

The White Revolution's legacy resulted in economic empowerment, improved livelihoods, and a globally recognized dairy industry.

Today (November 26) we are celebrating India's journey from milk-deficient to the world's largest milk producer.

Here are some important statistics to note:

• From the year 2013 to 2022, the world saw an increase in milk production by 61%, accounting for more than 220 million tonnes of milk. According to the NDDB, India is the world's largest milk producer, accounting for 24% of global milk production in 2021-22.
• Did you know? India’s growth rate of milk is twice that of the world average, adding up to 5.3% year on year.
• The dairy industry in India is a major source of income for millions of farmers. Around 10 million farmers earn their income from dairy farming. (Source: Press Information Bureau)

Uzhavarbumi is proud to be part of the dairy sector contributing our small part to uplifting marginal farmers, empowering rural women, and being an access point to provide healthy, unadulterated, farm-fresh milk to the homes of Chennai.

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