Dairy federation tells bench hearing food adulteration PIL that loose milk vendors and informal channels manage 400 lakh litres daily.
In response to judicial inquiries regarding widespread food adulteration and misleading dietary claims across Rajasthan, the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF) informed the Rajasthan High Court that its regulatory and operational remit is inherently limited, as nearly 80 percent of the state’s marketable surplus milk is handled outside the formal organized dairy sector. The federation submitted its sworn affidavit before a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjiv Prakash Sharma and Justice Pramil Kumar Mathur during ongoing suo motu proceedings monitoring food safety compliance.
According to data presented by Additional Advocate General Mahi Yadav on behalf of RCDF, Rajasthan generates approximately 36 to 37 million tonnes of milk annually, translating to an average output of nearly 1,000 lakh (100 million) litres per day. Of this total production, roughly 500 lakh litres are consumed directly at the farm and rural household level, leaving an estimated daily marketable surplus of 500 lakh litres for wider commercial trade.
The federation detailed that out of this 500 lakh litre commercial surplus, approximately 400 lakh litres (80 percent) are procured, transported, and sold through informal channels. This vast unorganised sector encompasses local milkmen (doodhiyas), loose raw milk vendors, uncertified roadside sweet shops, and small-scale private collection networks operating largely outside automated testing and cold chain oversight.
By contrast, the entire organised dairy sector—comprising licensed private corporate dairies and state-backed cooperatives—collects and markets roughly 100 lakh litres per day across the state. Within that organised share, RCDF’s own cooperative network (which markets dairy products under the Saras brand) procures and processes approximately 40 to 45 lakh litres daily through standardized chilling infrastructure and quality verification systems.
Emphasizing that RCDF functions strictly as a commercial cooperative processor rather than a statutory statewide food safety regulator, the affidavit clarified that the federation holds no legal jurisdiction over informal traders or competing private dairies. Following RCDF’s submission, Advocate General Rajendra Prasad requested additional time to file a comprehensive regulatory affidavit on behalf of the Department of Animal Husbandry, which the High Court granted as it broadens its scrutiny over informal milk adulteration risks.
Source: The Times of India
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