Going the milky way – can be profitable for entrepreneurs

Milk and milk products have become an important and unforgettable part of our daily lives today. In fact, the wide range of dairy products opens up the possibilities for many businesses.

World Milk Day (June 1) was established in 2001 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations – to recognize the importance of milk as a global food. While celebrating this day, the benefits of milk and dairy products are promoted around the world; and it also includes the thought of how dairy supports the livelihood of so many people.

This year’s theme will focus on showcasing – how dairy is reducing its environmental footprint, while also providing nutritious foods and livelihoods.

If you think about entrepreneurship in milk and milk products, suffice it to know that it is a fascinating and growing industry that offers a wide range of opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Besides being a way of life, dairy farming also involves the running of a business. Today’s dairy farmers are actually entrepreneurs who manage farms in a professional way. They manage a number of things – like they know how to rear calves and young stock, develop breeding plans, design cow barns and milk cows – so that they can successfully turn a dairy farm into a profitable agricultural company.

Want to be a Dairy Entrepreneur?

This comes under the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries (DADF), Ministry of Agriculture, and they had approved the implementation of the Central Sector Scheme entitled “Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme” during 2015-16. The multiple objectives of the scheme involves generating self-employment & providing infrastructure for dairy sector, setting up of modern dairy farms & infrastructure for production of clean milk, encouraging conservation & development of good breeding stock, bringing structural changes in the unorganized dairy sector so that initial processing of milk can be taken up at the village level, by upgrading traditional technology to handle milk on a commercial scale and providing value addition to milk through processing and production of milk products.

India is not only the largest milk producer of the world but also the largest consumer of milk globally; and we are also one of the fastest-growing markets for branded dairy products.

Milk production in the country was stagnant during the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. Here’s remembering Late Dr Verghese Kurien, also known as “Father of White Revolution” or “Dudhwala of India” who actually enabled India to become the largest milk producer in the world. He was a man with a rare vision, and he devoted a lifetime to realizing his dream – empowering the farmers of India.

Some dairy business ideas that are highly profitable

A dairy business can be large or small, depending on the amount of capital invested. But, there are different ways to profit from it.

Would you like to start a business in the Milk Processing and Dairy Products Industry, or are you just getting started? Some profitable dairy business ideas: