New Delhi, March 25 Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh highlighted on Wednesday that India's milk production has increased by nearly 70 per cent in the last 11 years to 248 million tonnes in 2024-25, and that the country will be free from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the next three years.
Responding to supplementary questions during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Singh, the Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, informed that outbreaks of FMD and Brucellosis have declined in recent years.
"India is the largest milk producer in the world," he said, adding that milk production has increased sharply in the last 11 years of this current government.
The country's milk production surged by nearly 70 per cent to 248 million tonnes in 2024-25 from 146.3 million tonnes in 2014-15.
During this period, Singh said that productivity has increased from 1,648 kg per animal annually to 2,251 kg per animal.
"We are unable to export despite being the largest milk producer. The main reason is FMD," he said.
Singh pointed out that developed nations need certification that India is free from FMD, only then they will import dairy products.
The minister stated that the government has taken various measures to control FMD, and the outbreak declined to 40 last year from 132 in 2019. He said that the Centre is bearing all expenses for vaccination.
Singh said the aim is to make India free from FMD, with certification from the World Organisation for Animal Health.
In a written reply, the minister said that a total of 132.49 crore (130.30 crore cattle/buffalo and 2.19 crore sheep/goat) have been vaccinated for FMD.
Also, 3.17 crore, 4-8 months old bovine female calves for Brucellosis have been vaccinated under the National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) of Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP) since inception till March 20, 2026.
This is as per the information uploaded by states on the Bharat Pashudhan Portal. Vaccination for FMD is done bi-annually.
"The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) has streamlined mass vaccination programs under the LHDCP scheme. The number of outbreaks of FMD has reduced from 132 in 2019 to 40 in 2025. Similarly, the outbreaks of Brucellosis decreased from 22 in 2019 to 6 in 2025," Singh said.
The department has developed a digital database – Bharat Pashudhan – using a unique 12-digit Tag ID allocated to each livestock for identification and traceability.
Regarding sheep and goats, flock registration is done by tagging a single representative animal of the flock. So far, 36.81 crore animals have been registered on the portal.
