India aims to be foot & mouth disease free by 2030 to increase milk productivity and attempt exports of dairy products

New Delhi: India is aiming to eradicate foot and mouth disease in its livestock by 2030 in order to increase milk production and dairy exports, said Union minister of animal husbandry and dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Tuesday.

India is the largest milk producer in the world accounting for a fourth of total production, but its productivity remains lower than the world average as the country continues to fight foot and mouth disease.

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The average yield in 2023-24 was 8.12 kg per day per exotic or crossbred animal and 4.01 kg per day per indigenous animal, according to data released by the ministry on Tuesday.

Average annual productivity of cattle in India during 2019-20 was 1,777 kg per animal per year against the world average of 2,699 kg per animal per year.

Drag on exports

“At present, India could exploit artificial insemination only by 35% against the developed nations’ 100%. We are aiming to increase it to at least 70%. Despite being the top milk producer in the world, we are unable to export milk and dairy products. The reason behind this is FMD (foot and mouth disease) in livestock. We are vaccinating them, and we aim to control FMD by 2025 and the country becomes FMD-free by 2030. The day we achieve it, we will be able to export milk and its products,” Singh said at an event organised by the ministry on National Milk Day.

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Foot-and-mouth disease is a severe viral disease that primarily affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cows, pigs, sheep, goats and deer. The mortality rate of the disease is 5% in adult animals and the morbidity rate of FMD reaches up to 100%. 

Serious production losses

The disease is responsible for serious production losses expressed in low milk production and weight loss due to loss of appetite.

Livestock is a vital sector of the Indian economy. The sector grew at 8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and employs about 8.8% of the population. In 2022-23 it contributed 5.5% to the economy.

Meanwhile, India's milk production rose 3.78% to 239.30 million tonnes (mt) in 2023-24, compared with 230.58 mt in 2022-23, according to the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2024, which was released by Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Tuesday.

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The per-capita availability of milk was 471 grams per day in the 2023-24 financial year, as per the report.

In the last financial year, meat production in India, the fifth largest producer globally, was 10.25 mt against 9.77 mt a year ago. Similarly, the country produced 3.17% more eggs during the same period at 138.38 mt. India ranks second in egg production worldwide, and egg production in the country is growing at a CAGR of 6.87% annually. The per capita availability of eggs in 2023-24 was 103 eggs per year, according to the report.

Livestock rearing is a major source of livelihood for more than 70% of rural households in India, with a significant number being small and marginal farmers and landless labourers.