BioE3 policy will be a milestone for bio-economy and a game changer for Viksit Bharat @2047. The PPP model will be an intrinsic part of Bioe3 Policy implementation incentivizing the industry to promote employment generation. India’s bio-economy skyrockets from $10 billion in 2014 to over $130 billion in 2024, with projections to reach $300 billion by 2030. The policy is aimed at ‘Fostering High-Performance Biomanufacturing’ aligned with National initiatives of the government of India such as a ‘Net Zero’ carbon economy and Mission Life (Lifestyle for the environment). BioE3 policy will momentously impact various sectors like food, energy, and health. Six thematic themes are Bio-based chemicals and enzymes; Functional foods and Smart proteins; Precision biotherapeutics; Climate resilient agriculture; Carbon capture and its utilisation and Futuristic marine and space research. There is a proposal to manufacture milk and milk products in the laboratory which may be a threat to dairy farming.
Intending to boost milk production and enhance disease resistance in animals by improving the breed quality of livestock, the Punjab Animal Husbandry Department has set an annual target of 30 lakh artificial inseminations across the state. A total of 93 bulls are housed at the A-grade semen station in Nabha for the production of the best quality semen to improve the genetic potential of dairy livestock. The state has undertaken major Progeny Testing (PT) projects for Murrah, Sahiwal, and Pedigree Selection (PS) for Nili Ravi.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka said that the government would consider increasing the price of the Nandini brand of milk, marketed by the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), in the coming days and the benefit would be passed on to farmers. Since June 2024, the KMF has been charging ₹2 more for the 50 ml extra milk per packet, amid a glut in milk production in Karnataka this season.
With consumers increasingly turning to online shopping, Mother Dairy is looking at getting onto the D2C bandwagon. The company, which is celebrating 50 years since its inception, closed FY24 with a turnover of ₹15,000 crore. With an eye on the next phase of growth, the packaged food major is ramping up manufacturing capacities, launching new products, and expanding its sourcing and distribution network to strengthen its pan-India play. It is eyeing a turnover of ₹17,000 crore in FY25. As part of a pilot, they have equipped 50 booths in Delhi with a home-delivery app for consumers to be able to order directly from them. They are testing this model and want to ensure that it makes commercial sense for their business partners. Once the model stabilizes, we will gradually expand this app across the Delhi-NCR, leveraging their large network of booths.
With the demand for milk and milk products spiraling during the week ahead of Onam in Kerala, the Dairy Development Department and Food Safety offices have stepped up vigil, collecting samples daily and analyzing them to ensure that milk reaching buyers adhere to the prescribed standards and is not adulterated. The Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), popularly known as Milma, has recorded a turnover of ₹4,346.67 crore for the 2023-24 financial year, reflecting a growth of 5.52% over the previous fiscal year. Addressing the challenges posed by rising costs, which have compelled many dairy farmers to exit the sector, the government will implement comprehensive initiatives to attract individuals to the dairy industry.
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly gave its approval to the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Duty Amendment Bill 2024. This legislation empowers the state government to impose a milk cess of up to ten paise per unit and an environment cess ranging from 2 paise to Rs 6 per unit on electricity consumed by both consumers and industries.
NDRI has announced significant strides in both education and biotechnology. Starting this October, NDRI is launching two new undergraduate courses: BTech in Biotechnology and BTech in Food Technology, each offering 20 seats. Additionally, the institute has expanded its BTech in Dairy Technology program from 40 to 60 seats, with 20 of these seats allocated to its Bengaluru campus.
All India Distillers Association conducted DDGS Yatra seminars at GADVASU, Ludhiana, and NDRI, Karnal to promote the use of DDGS in animal feeds. More than 350 stakeholders attended it. Poultry Technology and Livestock Technology magazines are Media partners for DDGS Yatra. Eight more seminars are planned in different parts of India in the next three months.