Andhra Pradesh highlighted the growing importance of its dairy sector on the eve of National Milk Day, with the Animal Husbandry Department outlining major initiatives aimed at improving cattle health, boosting milk production, and strengthening rural livelihoods.
Animal Husbandry Director T. Damodar Naidu, on Tuesday, said the State was delivering doorstep veterinary services through Rythu Seva Kendras while implementing fodder security measures, feed development programmes, genetic improvement of high-yielding breeds, infertility treatment camps, sex-sorted semen distribution, livestock insurance, and mobile veterinary clinics. These interventions were helping farmers build healthier herds and achieve higher productivity, he added.
Mr. Damodar Naidu emphasised that dairy farming has historically played a vital role in rural life and is the largest income generator in India’s agriculture sector, contributing nearly 5 per cent to the national economy and directly supporting over 80 million farmers. India accounts for 24.64 per cent of global milk production, with national output rising by 58 per cent over the past nine years.
Andhra Pradesh ranks seventh in the country with 13.946 million tonnes of annual milk production, supporting about 2.5 million dairy farmers. The State aims to double the current ₹713.9 billion value of its dairy sector by 2033. Per capita milk consumption stands at 719 grams per day, significantly above the national average, he added.
Published – November 25, 2025 06:56 pm IST
