Adoption of sustainable and smart practices vital for dairy sector: Milma chairman K.S. Mani

Mr. Mani, who is also director, National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI), was addressing the World Dairy Summit in Paris 

Milma Chairman K.S. Mani made a strong pitch at the World Dairy Summit in Paris for the adoption of sustainable and smart practices to turn the global challenges faced by the dairy sector into opportunities.

Mr. Mani, who is also director, National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI), said India’s dairy sector promised vast export potential, especially for value-added products. The summit was organised by the International Dairy Federation (IDF).

The export of value-added dairy products should be ramped up by tapping into government programmes such as the Dairy processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF) and reaching out to new markets such as southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, he said.

Mr. Mani noted that smallholders in India, who account for nearly 80% of the country’s dairy sector, have already started adopting automation and digital tools to reduce labour demands.

Labour shortages and technology solutions, climate change and sustainability, and opportunities and challenges in the dairy sector were among the core themes discussed at the meet, which saw the convergence of stakeholders of dairy sector from around the world, a statement said.

National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) chairman Meenesh C. Shah was among those who represented India at the summit.

Published - October 23, 2024 11:44 pm IST