Lok Sabha Question No. 376 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-02
Subject: Dairy Farmers
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Shri Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

## DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 376 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 nd  DECEMBER 2025

## DAIRY FARMERS

## 376. SHRI BHAUSAHEB RAJARAM WAKCHAURE:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the milk business has been proving to be quite unprofitable for farmers during the last few years, owing to the fact that the price of milk has fallen and Excise Taxes have been steadily increasing;
- (b) whether the cost of producing a litre of milk is 27 rupees, while the milk-producing farmer earns only 18 to 22 rupees for a litre and while cows initially produce a good amount of milk, their milk production decreases after a few months, and after 6 or 7 years, they stop producing milk altogether;
- (c) whether in such a situation, due to the ban on cow slaughter, farmers are unable to sell infertile cows and are also unable to look after them, leading to financial hardship and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government has taken/proposes to take, any steps to provide guaranteed prices to milk producers on the lines of the same being provided to farmers for sugarcane and other crops and if so, the details thereof?

## Answer

THE MINISTER FOR FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING

## (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

- (a) and (b) The average price of milk has not fallen in the past five years and it has been continuously increasing. Further, liquid milk is exempted from Goods and Service Tax (GST)/ excise duty.

| Average milk procurement price* (Rs./Litre)   | Average milk procurement price* (Rs./Litre)   | Average milk procurement price* (Rs./Litre)   |
|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| Year                                          | Buffalo Milk (Fat-6% and SNF 9%)              | Cow Milk (Fat- 3.5% and SNF8.5%)              |
| 2021-22                                       | 39.8                                          | 29.4                                          |
| 2022-23                                       | 44.3                                          | 33.6                                          |
| 2023-24                                       | 46.5                                          | 35.2                                          |
| 2024-25                                       | 47.5                                          | 35.5                                          |
| 2025-26                                       | 49.2                                          | 36.7                                          |

*Source: Milk Unions/ Federations

Price is inclusive of subsidies provided by State Govts

During the course of a lactation, the milk yields typically decrease after 4-5 months of lactation. It is a natural phenomenon. Further, on an average, cows-buffaloes in India are producing milk up to the age of 10-12 years.

- (c) As per Article 246(3) of the Constitution, under the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the States, the preservation of animal is a matter on which the State legislature has exclusive powers to legislate
- (d) Department  of  Animal  Husbandry  and  Dairying  (DAHD)  does  not  regulate  the  milk prices in the country. Milk Prices are decided by the cooperative and private dairies based on their  cost  of  production  and  market  forces.  However,  DAHD  is  implementing the following schemes across the country to complement and supplement the efforts made by the State Government:
- i. Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM)
- ii. National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD)
- iii. Supporting Dairy Cooperatives & Farmer Producer Organisations engaged in dairy activities (SDCFPO)
- iv. Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF)
- v. National Livestock Mission (NLM)
- vi. Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP)

These schemes are helping in improving milk productivity of bovines, expanding network of dairy cooperatives, strengthening  of  dairy infrastructure,  working  capital  requirement, enhancing  availability  of  feed  and  fodder  and  providing  animal  health  services.  These interventions help to reduce the cost of milk production and also help to enhance income of milk producer from dairy farming.

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