STATUS OF MILK PRODUCTION IN MAHARASHTRA

The state of Maharashtra has maximum area under rainfed even though it is one of the leading
states in terms of livestock population and milk production in the country. Dairy farming industry in
Maharashtra has shown tremendous growth in terms of milk production from 6,002 MT (2001-02) to
11,655 MT (2018-19). Small and marginal farmers and landless laborer’s, who derive a substantial part
of their livelihood from sale of milk, own about 82 percent of cattle in the rural areas. Besides its vast
employment potential, this sector has helped in stabilizing the farm income. In the present paper, the
contribution of number of milch animals and trend of milk production in Maharashtra has been studied
with a view to analyze the relative importance of these determinants and their interactions towards
the increase in total milk production in the Maharashtra state. The White Revolution has transformed
Maharashtra's dairy industry. It has increased the availability of milk as well as provided a reliable
source of income and employment to millions of rural families, thus improving the quality of their life. A
structural change in the composition of milk production has taken place in the Mahatashtra. The
dominant factor contributing to the growth in milk production was the productivity of animals. The
relative contribution of yield effect in the growth of cow and buffalo milk production increased and that of
population declined overtime.