The per capita availability of milk in India has  increased  from 176 grams per day in 1990-91 to 322 grams per day by 2014-15. It is more than the  world average of 294 grams per day during 2013. This  represents a sustained growth in availability of milk  and milk products for the growing population.

 

Dairying  has become an important secondary  source of  income for millions of rural households engaged in agriculture. 

 

The success of the dairy industry  has resulted from the  integrated  co-operative system of milk collection, transportation, processing and distribution, conversion of the same to milk powder and products, to minimize seasonal impact on suppliers and buyers, retail  distribution  of milk and milk products, sharing of profits with the farmer, which are ploughed  back to enhance productivity  and needs to be emulated by other farm produce/producers.

 

In the poultry segment, the Government’s focus, besides framing suitable  policies for enhancing commercial poultry  production, is for strengthening the family poultry system, which addresses livelihood issues. 

 

Both egg and fish production has also registered an increasing trend over the years. 

 

Egg production was around 78.48 billion eggs in 2014-15, while poultry meat production was estimated  at 3.04 MT. 

 

Fisheries constitute about 1 per cent of the GDP  of the country  and 5.08 per cent of agriculture GDP. 

 

The total fish production during 2014-15 was 10.16 MT, and production during the last quarters of 2015-16 has also shown an increasing  trend, estimated at 4.79 MT (provisional). 

 

There is increasing  significance  of poultry and livestock  products  in the context of diversifying  farm and non-farm activities  in the agriculture  sector to increase livelihood security.