IT JUST does not add up. India, the world's largest milk producer for over half a century, is struggling with runaway milk prices. In 2021-22, the country accounted for 221 million tonnes-almost a quarter of the global milk production, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Yet, milk prices are at an all-time high. According to the Department of Consumer Affairs, average retail price of milk has increased by 18.08 per cent in the past two years; a litre of milk now costs upwards of ₹58, as against ₹49.18 in 2021. In fact, since 2022-23, milk price rise has been driving overall food inflation in the country. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), an apex regulatory body for regional rural and cooperative banks, states in the May 2023 issue of its publication EcoFocus that the price rise is because of a sharp decline in milk production growth, from 5.3 per cent in 2021-22 to 0.4 per cent in 2022-23.
Amid reports of milk shortage and dairy products like butter and ghee missing from store shelves, Rajesh Kumar Singh, then secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), held a press conference on April 5, 2023. Singh cited two reasons for this stagnant supply: one, the infectious lumpy skin disease, which has infected 3.2 million cattle and buffaloes across the country in the past year and killed over 0.2 million animals; two, a rebound in consumer demand following the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Denne historien er fra August 16, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 16, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Trade On Emissions
EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, a tariff on imports, is designed to protect European industries in the guise of climate action.
'The project will facilitate physical and cultural decimation of indigenous people'
The Great Nicobar Project has all the hallmarks of a disaster-seismic, ecological, human. Why did it get the go-ahead?
TASTE IT RED
Popularity of Karnataka's red jackfruit shows how biodiversity can be conserved by ensuring that communities benefit from it
MANY MYTHS OF CHIPKO
Misconceptions about the Chipko movement have overshadowed its true objectives.
The politics and economics of mpox
Africa's mpox epidemic stems from delayed responses, neglect of its health risks and the stark vaccine apartheid
Emerging risks
Even as the world gets set to eliminate substances threatening the ozone layer, climate change and space advancement pose new challenges.
JOINING THE CARBON CLUB
India's carbon market will soon be a reality, but will it fulfil its aim of reducing emissions? A report by PARTH KUMAR and MANAS AGRAWAL
Turn a new leaf
Scientists join hands to predict climate future of India's tropical forests
Festering troubles
The Democratic Republic of Congo struggles to contain mpox amid vaccine delays, conflict and fragile healthcare.
India sees unusual monsoon patterns
THE 2024 southwest monsoon has, between June 1 and September 1, led to excess rainfall in western and southern states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, while others like Nagaland, Manipur and Punjab recorded a deficit.