Uttarakhand: Animal husbandry is emerging as a strong pillar of the rural economy in Uttarakhand, with the dairy sector witnessing steady growth and benefiting thousands of milk producers across the state.

According to the latest figures released by the Uttarakhand Cooperative Dairy Federation, milk procurement in the state has increased by 12 per cent this year. While around 2.12 lakh kg of milk was procured daily last year, the figure has now risen to 2.37 lakh kg per day.

Officials said the growth has been driven by government-backed subsidy schemes, grants for livestock farmers and the rapid expansion of women-led dairy groups in rural areas.

The Dairy Federation noted that more people are now turning towards dairy farming as an additional and stable source of income.

Government Subsidy Schemes Boost Dairy Production

According to Jaideep Arora, the state has witnessed continuous growth in milk production over the last two years.

He said schemes such as the Ganga Cow Women Dairy Scheme, subsidy on fodder, and financial support for cattle feed have significantly increased milk production in the state.

Officials added that these schemes have enabled farmers to purchase cows and expand dairy activities at lower costs.

Milk Production More Than Doubles Since 2002

In the early years after the formation of the state, Uttarakhand’s dairy sector remained limited in scale. In 2002, daily milk production in the state stood at around 1.01 lakh litres.

Over the years, milk cooperatives expanded steadily and dairy infrastructure was strengthened across districts.

According to federation data, average daily milk procurement in 2024-25 reached 212,204 kg, which further increased to 237,004 kg per day in 2025-26. This marks an increase of more than 24,000 kg per day within a year.

Milk sales have also risen during the same period. While daily sales stood at 158,146 litres last year, the figure has now increased to 168,382 litres per day.

Nainital Leads State in Milk Procurement

Nainital district continued to remain the top milk-producing district in the state.

Milk procurement in Nainital increased from 104,889 kg per day last year to 115,892 kg per day this year.

Udham Singh Nagar recorded the second-highest growth, with procurement increasing from 41,441 kg to 45,972 kg per day.

Meanwhile, milk production in Champawat also rose from 14,683 kg to 16,822 kg per day, reflecting the expanding reach of dairy farming across the hill state.