India working on breed improvement, traceability, disease-free cattle to boost dairy exports

The Indian Government is targeting exports of milk and dairy products to dairy-deficient geographies like China, West Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. Among the neighbouring countries, Indian dairy products are competing with their counterparts from New Zealand for a share in the Sri Lankan market.

However, a rise in dairy exports remains incumbent on ensuring adherence to health protocols laid down by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), the Paris-based equivalent of the WHO, which prescribes heat treatment like pasteurization of milk to ensure food safety.

To increase dairy exports, the government is working on the identification and traceability of dairy cattle, which is insisted upon by many nations as a pre-condition for dairy imports. Breed improvement of milch cattle through artificial insemination and ensuring disease-free cattle are other steps being taken to make Indian dairy products a sought-after commodity across the world. The government is also looking to export more ghee (clarified butter) from India as there is a lesser chance of transmission of any disease through ghee.