Dairy farming in India has evolved from just an agrarian way of life to a professionally managed industry. In the recent years, there is exponential growth in the number of the commercial dairy farms and milk is produced by a vast number of small, medium and large-sized farms in India. Private dairy processing units are functioning in all the states of India, the highest concentration is in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, accounting for over half of the total plants in the country. In terms of total installed capacity, the four states of Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu account for more than half of the total. The dairy sector is currently growing at around 10-12% annually. Indian dairy sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world and has set the goal to double its processing capacity from 53.5 million metric tonnes (MMT) to 108 MMT by 2025.

The biggest component of India’s dairy market is liquid milk. According to Dairy India (2017), the liquid milk market’s share is estimated to be around 58% of the total value. After liquid milk, the biggest segment of the country’s dairy market is dairy products such as Khoa, Chhana and Paneer used as base material for a variety of indigenous sweets and preparations, followed by ghee. Much of these products are produced by households or Halwais (sweetmeat makers). The demand for milk and milk products in India is increasing very rapidly because of urbanisation, convenience demanded by consumers and shifting of consumers from loose to packaged dairy products. Moreover, it has been noticed that Indian consumers are increasingly getting health- conscious and that the value-added dairy products industry is seeing a marginal growth. Witnessing the trend of steady growth in demand for milk and milk products, it sounds like a good time for all those interested in starting a dairy farm to take the leap ahead.

Opening a dairy farm, often termed as “All Season” business has always been a lucrative idea for numerous business owners, as a fact that there will be never ending demand for milk in India and anywhere in the world. Dairy markets offer good opportunities for both non-farm rural as well as urban employment. . With the proliferation of milk processing plants in the country in recent years owing to liberalization of economy and the income from dairying being tax free, many people from business and industry has shown keen interest in setting up of dairy farms. The dairy farming is the most profitable venture when carried out in sub-urban areas or in areas around the metropolitan cities where there is a ready market of the milk and one can get high price of the milk produced. Therefore, Dairy farming is now taken up as a main occupation around big urban centres where the demand for milk is high. Accordingly, there is huge scope for investors or entrepreneurs who are planning to foray into the dairy segment.

This compilation covers all the important aspects of the Dairy Business containing

·        Market Potential,

·         Initial Investment Required,

·        Space Required and Site Selection,

·        Permits and Licenses Required,

·        Breed Selection and Vaccination,

·        Equipment’s and Machineries Required,

·        Raw Material (Water & Fodder) Required,

·        Manpower Required,

·        Process in Brief,

·        Profitability,

·        Marketing and

·        Pros and Cons of the Business. 

The Business Funding options contains Financial assistance under various Govt. Schemes, Subsidy from Government Bodies, Equity Financing, Bank Loans under Government Schemes and Business Loans. Beginner’s Guide to Dairy Farming includes basic steps and tips to start the Dairy Business Successfully. Lastly, the presentation supplements with altogether 9 (Nine) Project Profiles of ;

·        2 Cows,

·        4 Cows,

·        10 Cows,

·        20 Cows,

·        100 Cows,

·        10 Buffaloes,

·        20 Buffaloes,

·        50 Buffaloes and

·        10000 LPD Milk Processing Unit.

LIST OF ENCLOSURES

ENCLOSURE-1: HANDBOOK OF GOOD DAIRY HUSBANDRY PRACTICES.

ENCLOSURE-2: GUIDELINES FOR ANIMAL HUSBANDRY INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND.

ENCLOSURE-3: HANDBOOK OF DAIRY PROCESSING, PMFME SCHEME, MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES, GOVT. OF INDIA.

ENCLOSURE-4: E-BOOK ON PMFME SCHEME, MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES, GOVT. OF INDIA.

ENCLOSURE-5: LATEST LIST OF “ONE DISTRICT ONE PRODUCT” (ODOP) FOR 713 DISTRICTS OF 35 STATES/UNION TERRITORIES UNDER PMFME SCHEME, MINISTRY OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES, GOVT. OF INDIA.