Celebrating World Milk Day and Dairy Week

01/06/2021

Dhaka, Bangladesh: The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), celebrated World Milk Day today and the start of Dairy Week.

FAO established World Milk Day in 2001 to recognize the importance of milk as a global food, and to celebrate the dairy sector. More than a hundred countries around the world will participate this year.

Increased production and consumption of milk and dairy in Bangladesh could bring health benefits to millions of people, particularly children, and boost business opportunities for smallholder dairy farmers as well as the private sector.

Robert D. Simpson, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, said that milk and dairy had a role to play in strengthening food and nutrition security. “Milk is affordable, widely available, and nutritious. It is not only beneficial for children when they are growing, but also for adults and the elderly. Encouraging people to drink a glass a day, or eating a portion of dairy such as cheese or curds, would deliver important health benefits and at the same time help strengthen Bangladesh’s dairy sector.”

S. M. Rezaul Karim, MP, Honourable Minister, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, was chief guest at today’s inauguration event. Rawnak Mahmud, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock was special guest and Shaikh Azizur Rahman, Director General, Department of Livestock Services, was chairperson. Guests of honour were Md. Abdul Jalil, Director General, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute; Monjur Mohammad Shahjada, Director (Administration), Department of Livestock Services; and Md. Golam Rabbani, Chief Technical Coordinator, Livestock and Dairy Development Project, Department of Livestock Services. The keynote paper presenter was Jahangir Alam Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Global Village, and former Director General of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute.

FAO is committed to support the Government of Bangladesh to strengthen the dairy sector. In particular, FAO is providing technical assistance through the Livestock and Dairy Development Project of the Department of Livestock Services. The project, which is funded by the World Bank, aims to address the barriers that undermine growth of the livestock sector and thereby improve productivity, market access, and resilience for smallholder livestock producers and processors. The project supports smallholder livestock farmers interested in improving productivity of dairy, meat, and eggs, by investing in different categories of livestock.

Since the early 1960s, per capita milk consumption in developing countries has increased almost twofold. However, the consumption of milk has grown more slowly than that of other livestock products; meat consumption has more than tripled and egg consumption has increased fivefold. Yet with urbanization and increasing wealth, the domestic market for milk and dairy products is growing. There are also export opportunities.

Since the 1970s, most of the expansion in milk production has been in South Asia, which is the main driver of milk production growth in the developing world. In fact India is the world’s largest milk producer, with 22 percent of global production, followed by the United States of America, China, Pakistan and Brazil.

With more than 80 percent of the milk produced in developing countries coming from small-scale dairy producers, dairying improves food security and represents a source of employment and income to millions of smallholder families. In small-scale milk production, between four and 17 jobs can be generated and sustained for every 100 litres of milk collected.

The marketing of surplus milk improves income, creates employment in processing, marketing and distribution, and contributes to food security in rural areas. The sale of milk from rural areas to urban centres allows the transfer of funds from wealthier urban centres to poorer agriculturally based communities.

The viability and profitability of small-scale milk production depend greatly on production costs and the efficiency of the dairy chain. Establishing an efficient, hygienic and economic dairy chain is a serious challenge in many developing countries.

Related links:

FAO Bangladesh

https://www.facebook.com/FAOBangladesh

http://www.fao.org/bangladesh/en/

FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

http://www.fao.org/asiapacific

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This news release was issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Bangladesh Country Office.

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