Aimed at addressing key issues affecting dairy sector, the first IDF regional conference with a focus on Asia Pacific will begin here on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, the National Dairy Development Board and the International Dairy Federation (IDF) are jointly organising the conference. The 3-day meet, themed “Farmer Centric Innovations in Dairying” will feature deliberations bringing together leaders and experts from the global dairy sector.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB, said India, as the largest milk producing nation in the world, has a great opportunity to draw the attention of the international dairy community to the Asia-Pacific Region.
He pointed out that the country is self-sufficient in milk production and also largest consumer of milk. “We have been growing at 6 per cent CAGR, despite having challenges like climate issues. These challenges could be largely mitigated by scientific interventions,” he said.
Supporting other nations
NDDB, he said, is now supporting Sri Lanka to transform its dairy sector from import dependency to self sufficiency. The action plan focused on interventions towards productivity enhancement as well as introducing efficiencies in milk procurement, processing and marketing as well as formation of joint ventures between organisations between the two countries. Kenya has also evinced interest in getting NDDB support to develop its dairy sector, he said adding the Board is ready to extend all help for those countries which are depending more on imports for milk.
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More than 1,000 delegates and participants from over 20 countries will be taking part in the event which aims to develop effective dairy policies to ensure sustainable livelihoods for millions of dairy farmers, provide nutritional security for consumers, promote growth in the dairy sector and find ways to minimise the environmental impact of dairying
The conference will deliberate on contemporary challenges in dairying and help find solutions through the exchange of ideas and innovations. Representatives from leading global and Indian institutions, as well as pioneers in the dairy industry, will share some of the best technologies and research in dairying.