India Leads Global Milk Production with 214 Million Tonnes

Abstract

As per 2022 data, India is the world’s largest milk producer, with production standing at 214 million tonnes (Mt). This reflects India’s vast agricultural base and growing dairy industry. Most of India’s milk production comes from small-scale livestock farming, with production mainly for the local market. There are many different breeds of dairy cows and rearing methods, with different characteristics depending on the region. Additionally, India’s milk production is growing in response to rising domestic consumption demand, especially for traditional dairy products. In recent years, the Indian government has been strengthening support measures to modernize the dairy industry and improve productivity, and is promoting the introduction of freezing and refrigeration technologies and improvements in production management. On the other hand, countries with large milk production volumes include the United States and China, but these countries are mainly based on large-scale commercial agriculture. The United States has an efficient production system and advanced technology, and China is also rapidly increasing its production volume, but this differs from India’s regionally decentralized production. As such, global milk production varies greatly depending on regional agricultural styles and market needs, with each country’s characteristics influencing production volumes and production methods.

Milk production (worldwide)

According to milk production data from 1961 to 2022, India recorded its highest production in 2021 at 221 million tonnes (Mt). The figures indicate a remarkable growth in milk production in India, especially since the 1990s. Milk production in India has been growing steadily, driven by high domestic demand and traditional regional dairy industries. Milk production in India is mainly driven by smallholder farmers, which leads to fragmented production and regional variations. In the 2000s, there was a rapid increase in production, with improvements in dairy cows, breeding techniques, and government support measures being key factors. Additionally, dairy consumption in India is high and production is increasing to meet the domestic market demand. This represents a slight decline from peak production and represents 96.7% of 221Mt of production in 2022. This decline may be due to climate change, resource constraints and feed shortages. However, India’s milk production remains the world leader and plays a vital role in meeting domestic and international demand. Sustainable production methods and technological innovation will continue to be key in the future.

The maximum is 210Mt[2020] of India, and the current value is about 99.4%

Milk production (latest year, world wide)

As per 2022 data, global crop milk production reached a total of 898 million tonnes (Mt), with India recording 214 Mt as the largest producer. This indicates that India holds a dominant share in global milk production. India’s production is driven by high domestic consumer demand and extensive smallholder production, particularly due to strong consumption of dairy products. The overall average production was 4.85 Mt, an average that includes countries with large commercial farms as well as smaller producers. This highlights the diversity of scales and forms of crop milk production around the world. The coexistence of large-scale producing countries and small farms illustrates the complexity of the global milk market. Besides India, other countries such as the United States and China boast large production volumes, and these countries are primarily based on large-scale commercial agriculture. In contrast, locally based production is the norm in India, and production is increasing to support local consumption of dairy products. Overall, milk production varies significantly depending on regional demand and production systems, with large producing countries such as India leading the world production. Future challenges include introducing sustainable production methods and improving production efficiency.

The maximum is 209Mt of India, the average is 5.9Mt, and the total is 1.08Gt

Whey production (worldwide)

According to 2021 data, France led the way in crop whey production with 655 thousand tonnes (kt), the highest figure to date. The outstanding size of France’s whey production is due to its strong domestic dairy base and highly developed dairy processing technologies. France is a traditional dairy producing country, particularly in the use of whey as a by-product of cheese production. Whey is a by-product primarily produced during the cheese manufacturing process, and France has the advanced technology and production systems in place to make effective use of this by-product. Whey is rich in protein and minerals and has a variety of uses, including in food, beverages and medicines, making whey production an important industry in France. Historically, whey production has fluctuated with demand for dairy products, especially in large dairy processing countries. Countries with high quality dairy products and production technology, such as France, tend to have increased whey production. Overall, whey production volume depends on dairy production volume and processing technology, and as the example of France shows, advanced processing technology and efficient production systems are the key to whey production.

The maximum is the latest one, 92.5Mt of China

Whey production (latest year, world countries)

According to 2021 data, global crop whey production totaled 3.25 million tonnes (Mt), with the United States recording 405 thousand tonnes (kt) as the largest producer. U.S. whey production benefits from an extensive dairy base and efficient processing technologies, enabling it to maintain high production volumes to meet both domestic and international demand. The United States mass-produces dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, and also produces a large amount of whey, a by-product of these products. Overall average production was 79.3kt, reflecting the diverse country production. There is a mix of large and small to medium-sized producers, which makes up the average. While large producing countries like the United States pull up the average, smaller and mid-sized producing countries have smaller production volumes which impact the overall total. Historically, whey production has been closely correlated with dairy production, with countries with high dairy consumption also tending to produce more whey. In addition, because whey is used as a food, beverage, and dietary supplement, fluctuations in demand affect production volumes. In the future, improvements in production efficiency and changes in demand will continue to affect whey production.

The maximum is 92.5Mt of China, the average is 1.86Mt, and the total is 341Mt

Main data

Reference