If Mishti Doi is a delicious sweet dish, why has Bengal missed it all?
Surprisingly, despite the state's insatiable consumption of its famous variety of sweets, West Bengal fares poor in the dairy sector.
By Sudipta Biswas in Delhi
Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have something in common -- they have managed to build a robust dairy sector. Unlike the state of Bengal.Karnataka, which has one of the strongest cooperative societies in India, recognised the farmers' plight due to the rising maintenance costs of dairy animals. There has been a price shock for farmers due to the war in the Middle East, which increased the transportation costs of feed and additives, while the El Niño effect made fodder
production worse.
Maharashtra recognised the farmers' plight and announced subsidies for drought-hit districts. Uttar Pradesh announced a grant of Rs 40,000 for every indigenous animal bought by the state's farmers. It may be dubbed electoral freebies, but it does help farmers grow their herd strength and reap benefits.And where does West Bengal stand in this value chain?Nowhere.
Like many other things, West Bengal does not fare well in the dairy sector either. However, the contradiction is that the state is one of the biggest consumers of milk; yet, its per capita availability stands at 211 grams per day, significantly lower than the national average of 471 grams per day, according to the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2023-24.
Ironically, these figures do not take into account the state's insatiable consumption of sweets -- the by-products of milk, which is among the highest in the country. Nevertheless, the relatively low per capita availability of pure milk points to potential nutritional deficiencies at the household level. The value of milk lies not merely in its commercial potential but also in its ability to meet the nutritional needs of households.In terms of overall milk production, West Bengal has recorded significant improvement between 2013-14 and 2023-24. From producing 4,906 thousand tonnes (4.91 million tonnes) in 2013-14, the state’s total output rose to 7,650 thousand tonnes (7.65 million tonnes) in 2023-24.However, the figure remains far below that of neighbouring Bihar, which produced 12,853 thousand tonnes (12.85 million tonnes) in the same financial year.
Uttar Pradesh topped the national chart with 38,780 thousand tonnes (38.78 million tonnes), followed by Rajasthan (34,733), Madhya Pradesh (21,326), Gujarat (18,312), Punjab (14,000) and Karnataka (13,463 thousand tonnes).Meanwhile, Bihar has significantly strengthened its cooperative societies. In the current financial year, the state has helped form 4,800 more such societies, of which 2,150 have become operational. This has added 91,000 kg of more milk to the state's cooperative network, benefiting farmers.
While these states have made substantial progress, backed by institutional support and proactive government interventions, governments in West Bengal have remained largely indifferent to the development of the dairy sector for years, if not decades. There are policies, but the execution on the ground is poor.
Bengal has one of the weakest cooperative systems -- farmers are still forced to sell milk to middlemen, there are no awareness-building initiatives about the benefits of rearing animals at home -- most people in rural Bengal no longer find this sector lucrative.The issues are multi-pronged. The state has very poor animal healthcare facilities. Artificial insemination is still carried out by quacks, often with unsuccessful results, contributing in part to repeat breeding. Its breeding policy is also anti-farmers.
When an animal falls sick, the farmers' pockets bear the strain. Quacks prescribe medicines based on assumptions, while the root cause of the problem remains unresolved. This becomes a perennial burden for farmers. Eventually, the animal is sold for a paltry sum.While animals in Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat produce above 30 litres of milk, Bengal has median animals that do not produce even 10-15 litres of milk, and they come with a very short productive life.
In contrast to West Bengal, Punjab has taken breeding to the industrial level. Punjab's PDFA Mela attracts dairy lovers from all over India every year. Farmers from all over India go to Punjab to buy high-yielding heifers and milk cows. They also source animals from neighbouring Bihar. Karnataka has also made significant progress in breeding.
Undoubtedly, the entire dairy ecosystem in Bengal needs an overhaul -- from breeding, health facilities, animal nutrition, medicine, supplements, to the availability of knowledgeable and confident veterinary surgeons, and professional institutions to train them.Political leaders helming the Bengal government -- past or present -- have not bothered to touch this subject, among other issues of industrialisation and development. Maybe the issue does not woo the voters' minds and souls. Yet, there are tall claims of sustainable livelihoods, industrialisation, and the alleged Gujarat model of development. But there is a total ignorance of the need to give an impetus to the rural economy.
Dairy, along with agriculture, has immense potential to change the economic health of the state. But who cares? Certainly not in Bengal.As the first, successful, grassroots co-operative movement in dairy farming started by a brilliant and visionary Joseph Kurien at Anand in Gujarat, Amul has invested a reported Rs 700 crore to set up one of the world's biggest curd factories in the state. This includes its incredible success in multiple terrains of FMCG – from the best brands of ice creams to chocolates and other products, even varieties of organic rice, wheat and mustard oil.
However, has anybody asked the question as to how this model would benefit Bengal's farmers when median milk yield is so low? The government should act now to ramp up support for farmers by overhauling its breeding policies and making branded semen available at the grassroots level, which would benefit both farmers and the dairy sector.At the same time, the state must not allow its own brand, Banglar Dairy, to fade into oblivion. Successive governments across India, irrespective of changes in political power, have recognised the importance of nurturing their own dairy brands. Most states have built cooperative-led dairy brands while allowing private players to compete for a share of the market. Karnataka has Nandini, Tamil Nadu has Aavin, Bihar has Sudha and Punjab has Verka among prominent brands. Delhi has Mother Dairy.
They command huge credibility and daily consumer market.
Such a model encourages healthy competition while strengthening the cooperative sector. Eventually, farmers stand to benefit from a competitive dairy market. There is also an opinion that allowing a single brand, such as Amul, even in its cooperative form, to dominate the market, risks creating a monopoly. The policy approach should instead focus on encouraging multiple players with their localised, indigenous varieties and strengths, while strengthening the reach, market presence and competitiveness of home-grown cooperative brands like Banglar Dairy.
If Amul and Mother Dairy can make ‘Mishti Doi’ a popular brand in North India, and elsewhere, why should Banglar Dairy lag behind?Surely, it could mitigate livelihood issues, as dairying is a profitable profession. But the benefits will only be tangible when we have high yielding cows and an average milk price of Rs 45-50. Right now, middlemen are exploiting farmers in Bengal by paying them Rs 30-35 a litre.
Karnataka on Thursday raised the milk price by Rs 8 per litre, of which Rs 7 will go to farmers and Rs 1 to the state’s dairy cooperatives. Bengal should thereby learn a lesson from Karnataka, and other states.While some villages do have cooperative milk collection centres, farmers often feel discouraged from selling their milk there due to fat and SNF issues. Again, at this level, nothing has been done to help farmers improve the quality of their milk. The support system is missing.The government would do better to step up and fulfil its obligations towards dairy farmers.
There is a good old saying: success breeds success. Once a person starts earning good money from dairy farming, their neighbours will be encouraged to follow suit, bringing more people into the sector.
It could also reduce the problem of migration as well as the pressure on government jobs.It is puzzling why the government has not yet focused on this sector when other states are reaping such high benefits. The dairy sector needs as much attention and policy concentration as the agriculture sector.
The reason the poultry sector has been doing well in the state is the support it receives from private players, with arrangements that are largely a win-win for both farmers and companies. However, unlike poultry, the dairy sector requires greater government intervention and dynamic innovation and vision, to improve the farmers' conditions.
Private dairy players are often exploitative, denying farmers a fair price by manipulating milk analysers. The sector remains largely unregulated, with poor quality milk and adulteration posing persistent concerns. Farmers are left at the mercy of private companies and middlemen.In Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana, governments step up whenever dairy farmers are in distress. Maybe that helps create a robust vote bank.
West Bengal's farmers -- who are a dispersed lot, not united by any large district or state level cooperative -- do not attract attention. But, for the sake of rural livelihoods, the state government should act now.Simply put, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's 'Gou Mata' rhetoric, projecting himself as the protector of cows, will not make Bengal a dairy leader or improve the health of the state's farming sector. Tangible support must reach those who rear cattle in their households and look after them day in and day out.
The mobile veterinary ambulance service, launched by the Centre in 2016, has remained non-operational in the state since the BJP came to power in May. It was a landmark initiative that took government veterinary services to farmers' doorsteps, with veterinary surgeons visiting cattle sheds in person to examine and treat animals. The service significantly eased the financial burden on farmers by reducing the need to transport sick animals to block-level veterinary hospitals or seek treatment from quacks.
The state must think beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps on the ground by setting up clear policies and support systems in consultation with stakeholders, particularly farmers and BLDOs. This should include ensuring access to nutritious fodder and quality semen, training artificial insemination (AI) technicians, and collaborating with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to make modern reproductive technologies, such as sex-sorted semen and in vitro fertilisation (IVF), accessible to farmers to improve breeding outcomes and boost milk production.
Regular knowledge transfer programmes at the grassroots level are equally important. Most importantly, cattle markets must remain open. Most village cattle markets have reportedly remained shut since the BJP came to power in the state.
Sudipta Biswas is a Delhi-based journalist.