Dairy is defined as a business enterprise that deals with the processing and harvesting of animal milk for human consumption. With widespread demand for dairy products and their proactive function in the global food industry, dairy plays a crucial role in the growth of the economies worldwide. The dairy industry has the following products like Milk, Cheese, Butter, buttermilk, cottage cheese, ghee, etc.
In India, the dairy sector plays an important role in the country鈥檚 socio-economic development and constitutes an important segment of the rural economy. The dairy industry provides livelihood to millions of homes in villages, ensuring the supply of quality milk and milk products to people in both urban and rural areas. India has been the leading producer and consumer of dairy products worldwide since 1998 with sustained growth in the availability of milk and milk products. Dairy activities form an essential part of the rural Indian economy, serving as an important source of employment and income.
India also has the largest bovine population in the world. However, the milk production per animal is significantly low as compared to the other major dairy producers. Moreover, nearly all of the dairy products in India are consumed domestically, with the majority of it being sold as fluid milk. On account of this, the Indian dairy industry holds tremendous potential for value-addition and overall development.
The sector has opened new income opportunities for rural households and is an important instrument to 铿乬ht poverty and improve the nutritional intake of rural families (Government of India, 2011).
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