About the Book

Animal husbandry sector is often considered as allied sector activity under the broad industrial division of agriculture and allied activities. Unlike in developed countries, where dependence of the workforce in agriculture is roughly around 5 per cent, decoupling of crop production and milk production as independent economic activity is yet to happen in India. Animal husbandry still continues to be an integral part of the crop production sector with vertical and horizontal linkages. Broadly, the study looks into the structural changes in the milk production sector in India since liberalisation. India is not only the largest producer of milk in the world, but also provides shelter to 55 per cent of buffalo and 15 per cent of the cow population in the world. Although India’s per capita milk availability exceeds the world average, the country still faces challenges in many contexts. Further, the rate of growth in milk production based on animal productivity, cow-buffalo ratio and the per capita availability of milk, does significantly vary across states in India. Regional disparities in livestock, especially milk production, are crucial for rural income and jobs in agriculture. The study concluded that the crisis in the crop production sector is percolated into the milk production sector and unless the milk production sector is decoupled and developed into a self-reliant economic activity based on market principle; continued existence of the sector is largely shaky.

Contents

1      Understanding the Milk Production Sector: India's Perspective

2      Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in Dairy Farming and Trade

3      Milkonomics: Analysing the Economics and Evolution of India's Dairy Industry

4     Exploring the Milky Path: Trends and Structure of India's Milk Production Sector

5      Milk Power: Analysing the Competitiveness of Indian Dairy Products Post-Liberalisation

6     Understanding Rural Household Dynamics: Insights from Rajasthan

7      Milk Production Finances: Findings from Primary Survey Data

8     Milking Success: Analysing Milk Production for Profitability

9     Transforming India's Dairy Sector: A Guidance for Action

About the Author / Editor

Shaifali Kumawat is Ph.D and Masters in Economics from Central University of Rajasthan. She is currently working as an Assistant Professor in SIES College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai. She has published numerous research papers in leading social science journals. Her contribution in the field of economics is widely recognized for its insightful analyses of socio-economic trends, particularly focusing on issues related to development economics and agricultural economics.