New Delhi [India], June 1 (ANI): Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday extended greetings to dairy producers, cattle rearers, and livestock keepers on World Milk Day, and hailed their contributions in making India the world's largest milk-producing country.

In an X post, Shivraj Chouhan lauded the farmers and cattle rearers for making India self-reliant in milk production.

He wrote, 'Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all dairy producers, cattle rearers, livestock keepers, and everyone associated with the dairy sector on World Milk Day! Today, India is the world's largest milk-producing country. I commend all the farmer benefactors, cattle rearers, livestock keepers, and people connected to the dairy sector who have made India self-reliant and leading in the field of milk production.'

'May you continue to contribute to the nation's reconstruction with the same dedication and hard work--this is my sincere wish,' the X post read.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations declared June 1 as World Milk Day in 2001. Since then, this day has been celebrated globally to acknowledge milk's importance as a universal food.

Today, India is a global leader in milk production. The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was created in 1965, with Verghese Kurien, known as the Father of the White Revolution, appointed to lead it. This laid the foundation for Operation Flood (1970-1996), one of the world's largest rural development programs, under which over 73,000 dairy cooperatives were established in the country.

India has been the number one milk producer since 1998, and it now produces 25 per cent of the world's milk. Between 2014-15 and 2023-24, milk production rose by 63.56 per cent from 146.3 million tonnes to 239.2 million tonnes.

There are 22 Milk Federations/Apex Bodies, 240 district cooperative milk unions, 28 marketing dairies and 24 Milk Producer Organisations, covering about 2.30 lakh villages across the country. (ANI)