Sustaining Assam’s Dairy Growth Needs Policy Push

Rising demand for milk and dairy products is driving significant growth in Assam’s dairy sector, mirroring national trends and creating new livelihood opportunities in rural areas, but sustainability challenges remain a major concern.

According to an editorial analysis, key bottlenecks include inadequate veterinary services, shortage of affordable feed and fodder, and weak market linkages, all of which require stronger policy and budgetary support to maintain growth momentum. Official data shows Assam currently has 3,301 registered veterinary practitioners, but to meet the norm of one veterinary doctor or institution per 5,000 cattle units, the state needs to recruit at least 300 more veterinarians while continuing to expand capacity.

To bridge service gaps, the government has introduced Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme, which envisages one MVU per one lakh livestock population, requiring an increase from the existing 159 units to 181 units.

At the national level, the livestock sector remains a major economic driver, with output valued at ₹18.99 lakh crore in 2023–24, of which milk alone contributes over ₹12.21 lakh crore, the highest among agricultural products, while supporting livelihoods of more than 100 million rural households.

However, parliamentary committees have flagged insufficient budgetary allocation as a critical constraint to scaling up the sector further. The editorial underscores that without targeted investments in veterinary infrastructure, feed availability and supply chains, Assam may struggle to sustain its dairy growth trajectory despite rising demand and strong potential for rural income generation.

Source: Dairynews7x7 18th March, 2026 Read full story here

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