Expressing the opinion that for any dairy business to succeed, banking on buffaloes makes more sense as there is negligible demand for cow milk in Hyderabad, Home Minister Mahmood Ali on Friday pointed out that buffaloes have higher lactation compared to cows.
Addressing the three-day International Exhibition on Food and Dairy and the Conference on “Milking Dairy Opportunities” that commenced at the Hitex Exhibition Centre on Friday, Mahmood Ali, who was the chief guest, said that there was Hyderabad faces a milk shortage of about 70 per cent and this was the reason it is being imported from Karnataka and Maharashtra.
He exhorted Dalit Bandhu beneficiaries to form groups of 10 and start small dairy businesses that are in high demand. This he said, would help them reduce labour costs while yielding them higher profits if they themselves work in the dairy. Mahmood Ali also felt that there was a need to bring in milking machinery for buffaloes and small cold storage equipment for small dairies.
Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav said that a team would have to be formed by involving government and private stakeholders, so that deliberations could be done to fill the gaps in the dairy industry and processes, by putting collective spirit above competition, to promote the dairy sector in a major way.
“Competition should be there, but cooperation is also important. Government should discuss with private dairies on how to go about competition- whether we all need to go our own ways, or collectively,” he said, asking officials to hold deliberations by the end of the month and come up with recommendations for the State government to act upon.
Also observing that dairy business was foremost in the minds of Dalit Bandhu beneficiaries, he felt that the sector had the potential to create self-employment and drive women empowerment. “In times when unemployment has been increasing, creating self-employment by creating opportunities in the dairy sector is paramount to the development of the country. If we show more benefit to the farmers in dairying, we can achieve great success,” Talasani said.
Dr S Ramchander, Director of Animal Husbandry, said that milk production in Telangana has grown from 42.07 LMT in 2014 to 57.65 LMT in the year 2020-2021, contributing approximately 3 per cent of India’s total milk production, with an annual growth rate of 9.1 per cent against the national average of 6.5 per cent.
Over 100 exhibitors and 120 brands are displaying their products, technologies and services at the show jointly being hosted by the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Media Day Marketing.
